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ostrich
(ɒstrɪtʃ, US ɔːst-)
Word forms: plural ostriches
countable noun
An ostrich is a very large African bird that cannot fly.
ostrich in British English
(ˈɒstrɪtʃ)
nounWord forms: plural -triches or -trich
1.
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
ratite ▶ Related adjective: struthious2. American ostrich
3.
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
Word origin
C13: from Old French ostrice, from Latin avis bird + Late Latin struthio ostrich, from Greek strouthionostrich in American English
(ˈɑstrɪtʃ; ˈɔstrɪtʃ)
nounWord forms: plural ˈostriches or ˈostrich
1.
a swift-running bird (Struthio camelus) of Africa and SW Asia, the only member of its order (Struthioniformes): it is thelargest and most powerful of living birds, and has a long neck, very long legs with two toes on each foot, and small, useless wings: the white tail and wing feathers of the male are used in millinery and astrimming
2.
a person who tries to avoid difficult or dangerous situations by refusing to confront them
Word origin
OFr ostrusce < VL avistruthius < L avis, bird + struthio, short for struthiocamelus, ostrich < Gr strouthiokamēlos < strouthos, sparrow + kamēlos, camelImage ofostrich
© Aaron Amat, shutterstock
Examples of 'ostrich' in a sentenceostrich
Word lists withostrich
bird, faunaIn other languagesostrich
British English: ostrich /ˈɒstrɪtʃ/ NOUN
An ostrich is a very large, long-necked African bird that cannot fly.
- American English: ostrich
- Arabic: نَعَامَةٌ
- Brazilian Portuguese: avestruz
- Chinese: 鸵鸟
- Croatian: noj
- Czech: pštros
- Danish: struds
- Dutch: struisvogel
- European Spanish: avestruz
- Finnish: strutsi
- French: autruche
- German: Strauß Vogel
- Greek: στρουθοκάμηλος
- Italian: struzzo
- Japanese: ダチョウ
- Korean: 타조
- Norwegian: struts
- Polish: struś
- European Portuguese: avestruz
- Romanian: struț
- Russian: страус
- Latin American Spanish: avestruz
- Swedish: struts
- Thai: นกกระจอกเทศ
- Turkish: devekuşu
- Ukrainian: страус
- Vietnamese: đà điểu
Chinese translation of 'ostrich'
ostrich
(ˈɔstrɪtʃ)
n (c)
-
鸵(鴕)鸟(鳥)
(tuóniǎo) (只, zhī)
related words
related adjective struthious
Nearby words ofostrich
- ostentatious
- ostracism
- ostracize
- ostrich
- other
- other-worldly
- otherwise
Synonyms of 'ostrich'
ostrich
Explore 'ostrich' in the dictionary