[ 'dəʊdəʊ ]
■ noun ( plural ~s or ~es ) a large extinct flightless bird found on Mauritius until the end of the 17th century. [ Raphus cucullatus .]
Phrases
as dead as a ~ informal utterly dead or finished.
Origin
C17: from Port. doudo 'simpleton' (because the birds were tame and easy to catch); cf. dotterel .