-
Trending Now:
More Trending:
- scaramouch non sequitur admiral's mast calumny kakistocracy
- ALL
Definition of ostrich
1a : 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 : rheac : 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
Explore M-W
Recent Examples of ostrich from the Web
-
Tyrannosaurs, hadrosaurs, ankylosaurs, ostrich mimic dinosaurs and more have turned up, but no horned dinosaurs.
-
Tyrannosaurs, hadrosaurs, ankylosaurs, ostrich mimic dinosaurs and more have turned up, but no horned dinosaurs.
-
Visitors can take a wagon ride or drive their car through the farmland, which houses 500-plus animals, including porcupines, pigs, ostriches and zebras.
-
Oudtshoorn is in South Africa’s arid Karoo region and ostriches were first farmed there for their feathers in the 19th century.
-
Two major ostrich farms in the Oudtshoorn area have stopped offering ostrich rides to tourists, responding to concerns from European clients and others about the birds’ welfare.
-
The Safari farm started regulating ostrich rides about 15 years ago, eventually lowering the weight restriction for tourists to 60 kilograms (132 pounds), and dropped the practice altogether on May 5, said marketing manager Billy Engelbrecht.
-
Along with fruit and vegetable crops, California’s agriculture also includes livestock, from dairy cows and egg-laying hens to hogs and even ostriches.
-
So have motorcycles, ostriches, zebras and -- in an always-popular event -- dachshunds.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ostrich'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology 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 English Language Learners
ostrich
playDefinition of ostrich for English Language Learners
-
: a very large African bird that runs very fast but cannot fly
OSTRICH Defined for Kids
ostrich
playDefinition of ostrich for Students
: a very large bird of Africa that often weighs as much as 300 pounds (140 kilograms) and runs very fast but cannot fly
Learn More about ostrich
-
Spanish Central: Translation of ostrich Nglish: Translation of ostrich for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ostrich for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ostrich
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up ostrich? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!