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bustard

American  
[buhs-terd] / ˈbʌs tərd /

noun

  1. any of several large, chiefly terrestrial and ground-running birds of the family Otididae, of the Old World and Australia, related to the cranes.


bustard British  
/ ˈbʌstəd /

noun

  1. any terrestrial bird of the family Otididae , inhabiting open regions of the Old World: order Gruiformes (cranes, rails, etc). They have long strong legs, a heavy body, a long neck, and speckled plumage

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bustard

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, apparently blend of Middle French bistarde ( Old Italian bistarda ) and Middle French oustarde, both from Latin avis tarda (Pliny) literally, “slow bird,” though tarda may be a non- Latin word, taken erroneously as feminine of tardus


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

"Thus, the only solution to conserve the great Indian bustard is to preserve its natural habitat," he says.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2024

The great Indian bustard also has unique breeding habits.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2024

The study states that growing the area of fallow lands -- the unsown farmland -- helps to stabilize the population of the little bustard in Catalonia.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 18, 2024

Nomadic people used the birds to hunt prey such as the Houbara bustard, a large, fast bird that has been hunted so aggressively it is now an endangered species in Qatar.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 16, 2022

"I think this is a hen bustard; it is the mother bird," said Ernest.

From The Swiss Family Robinson or, Adventures on a Desert Island by Jean Rudolph Wyss

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