Link Centre Dictionary

ostrich

ost·rich

UK/ˈɒs.tɹɪt͡ʃ/ US/ˈɒs.tɹɪd͡ʒ/ uncommon obsolete

noun

1.

a person who refuses to face reality or recognize the truth (a reference to the popular notion that the ostrich hides from danger by burying its head in the sand)

2.

fast-running African flightless bird with two-toed feet; largest living bird

Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English ostrich, ostriche, ostryche, ostrige, borrowed from Anglo-Norman ostrige and Old French ostruce, from Vulgar Latin *austruthio, from Latin avis (“bird”) + strūthiō (“ostrich”), from Ancient Greek στρουθίων (strouthíōn), or shortened from strūthiocamēlus, from Ancient Greek στρουθοκᾰ́μηλος (strouthokắmēlos), from στρουθός (strouthós, “sparrow”) + κάμηλος (kámēlos, “camel”). Compare Spanish avestruz and Portuguese avestruz.

Phrases

  • ostrich dinosaur
  • ostrich fern
  • ostrich instruction
  • ostrich policy
  • ostrich politics

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Parts

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.