Definition

1. Noun:
   • A genus of extinct flightless birds: Dinornis is the type genus of the family Dinornithidae, comprising the largest species of moa, which were giant, wingless birds native to New Zealand.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The fossil record shows that Dinornis was among the tallest birds to have ever existed.
  • Scientists study the bones of Dinornis to understand the ecology of prehistoric New Zealand.

Advanced Usage

• In scientific classification: The term is used in taxonomy to refer specifically to this genus.
  • The species Dinornis robustus is a well-known member of the genus.

Variants and Related Words

• Dinornithidae (n): The biological family to which the genus belongs.
  • The family Dinornithidae includes several genera of moa.
• Moa (n): The common name for the group of extinct flightless birds that includes .
  • The moa, including Dinornis, were herbivores.

Synonyms

• Giant moa: A descriptive common name for the largest species within this genus.
• (There are no direct common-language synonyms, as it is a specific scientific name.)

Related Phrases

(This term is a proper scientific name and is not typically used in phrasal verbs or idioms.)

Noun

1. type genus of the Dinornithidae: large moas