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 ostrichlike

  • The public stomach is ostrichlike, but it can't stand the water-cure.

    The Danger Mark |Robert W. Chambers

British Dictionary definitions for ostrichlike

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