First Known Use: 13th century
Dictionary
ostrich
noun os·trich \ˈäs-trich, ˈȯs- also -trij\
: a very large African bird that runs very fast but cannot fly
Full Definition of OSTRICH
1
a : a swift-footed 2-toed flightless ratite bird (Struthio camelus) of Africa that is the largest of existing birds and often weighs 300 pounds (140 kilograms) b : rhea c : leather made from ostrich skin
2
[from the belief that the ostrich when pursued hides its head in the sand and believes itself to be unseen] : one who attempts to avoid danger or difficulty by refusing to face it
— os·trich·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective
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Origin of OSTRICH
Middle English, from Anglo-French ostriz, ostrige, from Vulgar Latin *avis struthio, from Latin avis bird + Late Latin struthio ostrich — more at struthious
OSTRICH Defined for Kids
ostrich
noun os·trich \ˈä-strich\
Definition of OSTRICH for Kids
: a very large bird of Africa that often weighs as much as 300 pounds (140 kilograms) and runs very fast but cannot fly
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