ostrich

American  

[aw-strich, os-trich] / ˈɔ strɪtʃ, ˈɒs trɪtʃ /

noun

• ostriches
  plural

1. a large, two-toed, swift-footed flightless bird, Struthio camelus, indigenous to Africa and Arabia, domesticated for its plumage: the largest of living birds.

2. (not used scientifically) a rhea.

3. a person who attempts to ignore unpleasant facts or situations.

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ostrich British  

/ ˈɒstrɪtʃ /

noun

1. a fast-running flightless African bird, Struthio camelus, that is the largest living bird, with stout two-toed feet and dark feathers, except on the naked head, neck, and legs: order Struthioniformes See ratite

2. another name for rhea

3. a person who refuses to recognize the truth, reality, etc: a reference to the ostrich's supposed habit of burying its head in the sand

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Usage

Where does ostrich come from? A funny-looking animal with a funny origin story is the ostrich. When you look at an ostrich, with its small head, big, long legs, and large, fluffy body, the first thing you think of is a tiny, adorable sparrow, right? Wait, what?As it happens, that's what the ancient Greeks thought, apparently. The word ostrich ultimately comes from the Greek word strouthion, which comes from the Greek expression for "big sparrow." That's right, it seems the Greeks thought the ostrich was just a really big, weird sparrow. Funnily enough, the ancient Greeks also called the ostrich strouthokamelos, which means "camel-sparrow," because the bird has a long neck like a camel. The roots of these other words may get a rise—of laughter or surprise—out of you. Run on over to our roundup of them at "Weird Word Origins That Will Make Your Family Laugh."

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• ostrichlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ostriches
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ostrich

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English ostrice, ostriche, from Old French ostrusce (compare French autruche, ) from unattested Vulgar Latin avistrūthius, for Latin avis “bird” + Late Latin strūthiō, from Late Greek strouthíōn; see struthious

Explanation

An ostrich is a huge, flightless bird with long legs and two toes on each foot. Although they weigh as much as 265 pounds, ostriches can run almost 45 miles per hour. Ostriches are related to emus, but they're about three times larger. There are two modern species of ostrich, both native to Africa. Ostriches are often farmed for their distinctive soft, loose feathers (which are used in feather dusters and in fashion design). Colloquially, an ostrich is also someone who avoids difficulty by refusing to face it, a use that comes from the birds' habit of putting their heads in the sand — although they do it to hunt for snacks!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ostrich ostriches

Days before a Times reporter visited Matson’s property, a pack of wild dogs dug under his fence and fatally mauled his only surviving adult ostrich, Bam Bam.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

Archaeologists working at several sites in southern Africa have uncovered hundreds of unusual pieces of engraved ostrich eggshell.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

After James and his wife had difficulty conceiving, he had what he describes as an "ostrich moment"; months of burying his head in the sand while his partner went through all the checks and tests.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

On a recent Wednesday, Ligon walked the property in ostrich boots and a duck-patterned shirt.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026

She could not fly, for ostriches are flightless birds, but she could run like the wind, and gave the children ostrich rides that were thrillingly fast.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

He shadowboxes with ostriches and brings in celebrities like Rick Ross and Naomi Campbell for IBA events; he praises Stalin and rides private jets.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026

Since he filed the report, Matson alleges, his neighbors’ dogs have killed two more of his ostriches, Shrek and Stella, while a third, Betty, choked on plastic trash that he claims came from their yard.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

Among the dumbest birds are insectivores, such as bee-eaters, and giants, such as ostriches.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

Scientists believe Pennaraptora evolved feathers for flight, but environmental changes may have led some species to lose that ability over time, similar to flightless birds today such as ostriches and penguins.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 18, 2026

This took enormous effort, for although chickens are not, technically speaking, flightless birds, like ostriches or dodos, nor are they known for their ability to easily “lift off,” as we say nowadays.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood