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• emu
  emu

  noun

  a large, flightless, ratite bird, Emu (Dromaius ) novaehollandiae, of Australia, resembling the ostrich but smaller and having a feathered head and neck and rudimentary wings.
• EMU
  EMU

  Also electromagnetic unit.
• e.m.u.
  e.m.u.

  abbreviation

  electromagnetic unit

emu

¹ American  

[ee-myoo] / ˈi mju /

noun

emus plural

1. a large, flightless, ratite bird, Emu (Dromaius ) novaehollandiae, of Australia, resembling the ostrich but smaller and having a feathered head and neck and rudimentary wings.

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EMU ² American  

1. Also electromagnetic unit.

2. Aerospace. extravehicular mobility unit.

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EMU ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. European Monetary Union

2. Economic and Monetary Union

3. See e.m.u.

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emu ² British  

/ ˈiːmjuː /

noun

1. a large Australian flightless bird, Dromaius novaehollandiae, similar to the ostrich but with three-toed feet and grey or brown plumage: order Casuariiformes See also ratite

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e.m.u. ³ British  

abbreviation

1. electromagnetic unit

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EMU Scientific  

1. Abbreviation of electromagnetic unit

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• emus
  plural

Etymology

Origin of emu

1605–15; earlier emeu (in earliest E source emia, eme ), ultimately < Portuguese ema, attested in 1541 as a name for the cassowary (further origin obscure); the replacement of -a by -eu, etc., is unexplained

Explanation

An emu is a very large, flightless bird that is only slightly shorter than its close relative, the ostrich. You're likely to see emus if you travel around their native continent of Australia. Emus reign as the biggest bird in Australia, growing to a height of six feet or more as adults. These long-legged birds have soft brown feathers and relatively small wings that they flap as they run (sometimes sprinting at 30 miles per hour), though sadly, they're unable to take flight. Etymologists guess that emu comes from the Portuguese word for "ostrich," ema.

Example Sentences

The research is published in the international journal Emu.

From Science Daily • Nov. 29, 2023

The new tools are an advancement of the parent model Emu that generates images in response to text prompts.

From Reuters • Nov. 16, 2023

Emu eggs need to be incubated at 97.5 degrees.

From Seattle Times • May 5, 2022

The grasslands were attractive to pastoralists like Taylor, especially those near permanent water, such as Mount Emu Creek.

From The Guardian • Mar. 22, 2019

My intention, on arriving there, was to prosecute my inquiries for the Emu, and then to continue my voyage to the eastward, on board any craft I could find.

From Mark Seaworth by Kingston, William Henry Giles