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moko

British  
/ ˈməʊkəʊ /

noun

  1. Also called: nanua. a Māori tattoo or tattoo pattern

"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 moko

Māori


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:

“When I look at it, I see the hills outside of Wellington or people with moko tattoos—things that just make me instantly think of home.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026

Facial tattoos, or moko, have been a part of Maori culture for centuries.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2022

On her chin, Marshall wore a traditional Māori tattoo, a moko kauae.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 14, 2022

"It's not acceptable," says Ms Lee-Penehira, who herself has a chin moko.

From BBC ● May 23, 2018

It is not a fact—as popularly supposed—that the "moko" was distinctive in different families; serving, as is sometimes said, the purpose of a coat-of-arms.

From Austral English A dictionary of Australasian words, phrases and usages with those aboriginal-Australian and Maori words which have become incorporated in the language, and the commoner scientific words that have had their origin in Australasia by Edward Ellis Morris

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