ostrich

[ aw-strich, os-trich ]
/ ˈɔ strɪtʃ, ˈɒs trɪtʃ /

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.

Origin of ostrich

1175–1225; Middle English ostrice, ostriche < Old French ostrusce (compare French autruche) < Vulgar Latin *avistrūthius, for Latin avis bird + Late Latin strūthiō < Late Greek strouthíōn; see struthious

OTHER WORDS FROM ostrich

os·trich·like, adjective

Words nearby ostrich

ostracoderm, ostracon, ostrakon, ostranenie, ostrava, ostrich, ostrich fern, ostringer, ostrogoth, ostrovsky, ostwald

Example sentences from the Web for ostrich

British Dictionary definitions for ostrich

ostrich
/ (ˈɒstrɪtʃ) /

noun plural -triches or -trich

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 Related adjective: 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

Word Origin for ostrich

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