an extinct bird of New Zealand, Heteralocha acutirostris, prized by early Māoris for its distinctive tail feathers
Word origin
Māori
huia in American English
(ˈhuːjə)
noun
an apparently extinct, crowlike bird, Heteralocha acutirostris, of New Zealand, noted for the completely different bill shapes of the male and female
Word origin
[1835–45; ‹ Maori hūia]This word is first recorded in the period 1835–45. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: basic, cutaway, ecumenical, hybridize, placement