mako
Americannoun
noun
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any shark of the genus Isurus, esp I. glaucus of Indo-Pacific and Australian seas: family Isuridae
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the teeth of the mako worn as a decoration by early Māoris
noun
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Also called: wineberry. a small evergreen New Zealand tree, Aristotelia serrata: family Elaeocarpaceae
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another name for bellbird
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of mako
Borrowed into English from Maori around 1720–30
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.
See Examples For:
This group includes familiar species such as the great white shark, basking shark, and mako shark.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026
Another, filmed in Tunisia, shows heads and fins of what appears to be a short-finned mako shark, which is also a threatened and protected species, being prepared for sale.
From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2025
“A few years ago there was a pesky mako shark that kept circling in on a few paddlers,” Gair recalled, “but it just lost interest eventually and turned away.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2023
Shortfin mako was found in U.S. pet food, according to a 2019 study.
From National Geographic ● Jul. 17, 2023
The sea horse and the mako shark whisked off and started playing something that looked like tag.
From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan
But when tagged makos arrived in the zone, they stayed above 200 meters.
From Science Magazine ● Feb. 1, 2023
Isurus oxyrinchus has also been found in warm and temperate waters and juveniles makos "are common in southern California during the summer months."
From Fox News ● Nov. 4, 2019
What sort of organism?: A shark distantly related to today's great whites and makos.
From Scientific American ● Jan. 14, 2018
Tuna fisheries, for example, often hook pricey species like blue sharks and shortfin makos and then sell them, rather than releasing them.
From Nature ● Feb. 8, 2017
The makos were larger and had mouths bursting with frightening teeth, but they too were nicely coloured, an indigo blue that shimmered beautifully in the sun.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
