kakapo

American

[kah-kuh-poh] / ˌkɑ kəˈpoʊ /

noun

plural

kakapos

a large, almost flightless nocturnal parrot, Strigops habroptilus, of New Zealand: an endangered species.

kakapo British

/ ˈkɑːkəˌpəʊ /

noun

a ground-living nocturnal parrot, Strigops habroptilus, of New Zealand, resembling an owl

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of kakapo

1835–45; < Maori kākāpō ( kākā kaka + pō night)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Campaign managers for other birds called foul, calling on New Zealanders to get involved and vote for other birds including the kakapo parrot and the national bird, the kiwi.

From Reuters • Nov. 15, 2023

Behind them was a kakapo — a large, flightless parrot — which was last year’s champion.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 1, 2021

Andrew Digby works to protect the kakapo, a critically endangered New Zealand bird.

From Nature • Apr. 23, 2020

"Birds like kakapo and kiwi would have been here in the past," he says.

From BBC • Oct. 3, 2016

Her laugh turns into a cry and I am up in the air finally, but I’m not a kakapo anymore.

From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023