moko

M3O1K5O1

noun

A traditional Maori tattoo (image made in the skin), traditionally done with chisels; also, such an image used as a personal sign or signature.

OriginMāori moko →
UncommonFirst used 19th c.Scrabble 10
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Meanings

moko1

nounmoko (plural mokos)

plural mokos

  1. New ZealandA traditional Maori tattoo (image made in the skin), traditionally done with chisels; also, such an image used as a personal sign or signature.First known use 19th c.

    He decides to overtrace the moko on Te Rau's face.

    2014, Peter Wells, Journey to a Hanging
    1 more example

    No calligraphist could have drawn the moko so perfectly in the short time the fingers execute it.

    1983, Keri Hulme, The Bone People, Penguin, published 1986, page 373

moko2

nounmoko (plural mokos)

plural mokos

  1. New ZealandA grandchild, or any younger child.

Origin

moko · noun

  1. Māorimoko
  2. Māorimoko
  3. Englishmoko

Borrowed from Māori moko.

More words from Māori

Full word history & related roots →

moko · noun

  1. Māorimokopuna
  2. Māorimokopuna
  3. Englishmoko

Borrowed from Māori mokopuna.

More words from Māori

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

mook
Cite this entry
APA

moko. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moko

MLA

“moko.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moko. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “moko,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moko.

Source: moko on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.