ostrich

English
An ostrich and chick (probably Struthio camelus australis)

Etymology

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 στρουθιοκάμηλος (strouthiokámēlos), from στρουθός (strouthós, “sparrow”) + κάμηλος (kámēlos, “camel”). Compare Spanish avestruz.

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɒs.tɹɪt͡ʃ/, /ˈɒs.tɹɪd͡ʒ/; enPR: ŏs'trĭch, ŏs'trĭj
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɔs.tɹɪt͡ʃ/, /ˈɑs.tɹɪt͡ʃ/, /ˈɔs.tɹɪd͡ʒ/, /ˈɑs.tɹɪd͡ʒ/; enPR: ôs'trĭch, ŏs'trĭch, ôs'trĭj, ŏs'trĭj
  • Audio (US)(file)
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Noun

ostrich (plural ostriches)

  1. A large flightless bird (Struthio camelus) native to Africa.
  2. (figuratively) One who buries one's head in the sand instead of acknowledging problems

Derived terms

Translations
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Translations to be checked

See also

Further reading

Anagrams

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman ostrige and Old French ostruce, from Vulgar Latin *austrūthiō.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈɔstritʃ/, /ˈɔstridʒ/

Noun

ostrich (plural ostriches)

  1. ostrich (Struthio camelus)
  2. (rare) A goblet made of an ostrich egg.
  3. (rare, heraldry) A heraldic image of a ostrich.

Descendants

References
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