ostrich

os·trich | \ ˈä-strich

How to pronounce ostrich (audio)

, ˈȯ- also -strij \

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 : 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

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Examples of ostrich in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The government allows 54 wild species to be bred on farms and sold for consumption, including minks, ostriches, hamsters, snapping turtles, and Siamese crocodiles. — National Geographic, "More Chinese push to end wildlife markets as WHO declares coronavirus emergency," 30 Jan. 2020 Outside, beyond the skate rental tent, 15 kilometers — more than nine miles — of iceways wove through pine and hardwood forests dotted with farm pens occupied by goats, sheep, ducks, deer and more exotic animals, including an ostrich. — Elaine Glusac, New York Times, "Where Trails Are for Skating, Not Hiking," 13 Jan. 2020 Draped in gorgeous gowns and other designer attire, Michuki danced among giraffes, made friends with ostriches and played with zebras. — Danielle Pointdujour, Essence, "Miss Universe Kenya Stacy Michuki's Stunning Safari Photoshoot Will Leave You Speechless," 22 Jan. 2020 Scot gave me a range for another ostrich, and that bird dropped as well. — Tyler Freel, Outdoor Life, "Why Hunting Africa Has Nothing To Do With Trophy Hunting," 17 Dec. 2019 The pathogen also infects sheep, ostriches, and other animals. — Kai Kupferschmidt, Science | AAAS, "Cases of mysterious shrew-transmitted disease double," 7 Jan. 2020 At one point, the cube projected texts from DeadMau5 in a cheesy Comic Sans font, and the videos including the famous and funny calculating GIF, and animations of a dancing cow and ostrich with DeadMau5 heads and floppy tongues. — Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Despite being sick, DeadMau5 masters his craft at Wisconsin Center spectacle in Milwaukee," 15 Dec. 2019 Herds of angry ostriches and mandrills are added for danger, even though the special effects are hardly seamless, often looking jerky and manipulated at key moments. — Mark Kennedy, Detroit Free Press, "‘Jumanji’ franchise sticks with winning formula in ‘Next Level’," 12 Dec. 2019 Emus are the second-largest birds in the world by height behind the ostrich. — USA TODAY, "Massive pumpkin, runaway emu, 38-year-old penguin dies: News from around our 50 states," 21 Oct. 2019

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.

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Dictionary Entries near ostrich

ostreodynamometer

ostrich leather

Statistics for ostrich

Last Updated

15 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Ostrich.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ostrich. Accessed 18 Feb. 2020.

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