OSTRICH Definition & Meaning

ostrich

[ aw-strich, os-trich ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a large, two-toed, swift-footed flightless bird, Struthio camelus, indigenous to Africa and Arabia, domesticated for its plumage: the largest of living birds.
(not used scientifically) a rhea.
a person who attempts to ignore unpleasant facts or situations.

ostrich

/ ˈɒ��ٰ�ɪ��ʃ /

noun

a fast-running flightless African bird, Struthio camelus, that is the largest living bird, with stout two-toed feet and dark feathers, except on the naked head, neck, and legs: order Struthioniformes See ratite struthious
American ostrich
another name for rhea
a person who refuses to recognize the truth, reality, etc: a reference to the ostrich's supposed habit of burying its head in the sand

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Other �y��vlog Forms

�ǲ�t��·�� adjective

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of ostrich¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English ostrice, ostriche, from Old French ostrusce (compare French autruche, ) from unattested Vulgar Latin ��ٰ�ū�ٳ󾱳ܲ�, for Latin avis “bird” + Late Latin ��ٰ�ū�ٳ�ō, from Late Greek ��ٰ��ǳܳٳ�íō��; struthious

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of ostrich¹

C13: from Old French ostrice, from Latin avis bird + Late Latin struthio ostrich, from Greek strouthion

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Throwing in expectations related to titles and other formalities that are part of James’ job is enough to turn John into a frightened ostrich desperate to find a soft ground to bury his head in.

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The African habitat - which was built in 2001 - is home to reticulated giraffes, maneless zebras, white rhinos, ostriches, crowned cranes and a greater kudu - a type of antelope.

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The African habitat - which was built in 2001 - is home to reticulated giraffes, maneless zebra, white rhino, ostrich, crowned crane and a greater kudu.

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The animals said to have been featured in various Roman spectacles include hippopotamuses, elephants, rhinoceroses, bears, ostriches and big cats like lions and tigers.

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They also collected X-ray videos from an iguana and an alligator and examined the shapes of leg bones in other birds, including a penguin, an ostrich, an owl, and a crane.

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More About Ostrich

Where does ostrich come from?

A funny-looking animal with a funny origin story is the ostrich. When you look at an ostrich, with its small head, big, long legs, and large, fluffy body, the first thing you think of is a tiny, adorable sparrow, right? Wait, what?

As it happens, that’s what the ancient Greeks thought, apparently. The word ostrich ultimately comes from the Greek word strouthion, which comes from the Greek expression for “big sparrow.” That’s right, it seems the Greeks thought the ostrich was just a really big, weird sparrow.

Funnily enough, the ancient Greeks also called the ostrich strouthokamelos, which means “camel-sparrow,” because the bird has a long neck like a camel.

The roots of these other words may get a rise—of laughter or surprise—out of you. Run on over to our roundup of them at “Weird �y��vlog Origins That Will Make Your Family Laugh.”

Did you know … ?

The ostrich may look silly but you don’t want to make this huge bird mad. It is the world’s largest bird. It can run up to 43 mph/hr (70 km/hr), and its legs can be used to deliver devastating kicks.
A common myth surrounding the ostrich is that it buries its head in the sand when it is scared, a behavior that is the source of the idiom to hide/bury one’s head in the sand. In reality, ostriches can’t fly, so they lay their eggs in a hole in the ground, and occasionally they peek their head in to rotate them to ensure they are properly heated.
While the adjective ostrichlike describes something that resembles an ostrich, you can also use the word struthious, which comes from the �ǲ��ٰ��’s original Greek name.

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