HMS Maori was one of five ships of the third batch of Tribal-class destroyers built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the twentieth century.

Ordered as part of the 1907–1908 Naval Programme, the third batch of Tribal-class destroyers were improved versions of the earlier-batch ships.

[3] The third-batch Tribals carried a maximum of 162 long tons (165 t) of fuel oil that gave them a range of 1,640 nautical miles (3,040 km; 1,890 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).

[2] The ships were armed with a pair of BL 4-inch (102 mm) Mk VIII gun in single mounts, one on the forecastle and the other on the stern.

[4] Maori was laid down by William Denny and Brothers at its Greenock shipyard on 6 August 1908, launched on 24 May 1909 and completed in November.