cassowary

American  

[kas-uh-wer-ee] / ˈkæs əˌwɛr i /

noun

plural

cassowaries

1. any of several large flightless, ratite birds of the genus Casuarius, of Australia, New Guinea, and adjacent islands, characterized by a bony casque on the front of the head.

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cassowary British  

/ ˈkæsəˌwɛərɪ /

noun

1. any large flightless bird of the genus Casuarius, inhabiting forests in NE Australia, New Guinea, and adjacent islands, having a horny head crest, black plumage, and brightly coloured neck and wattles: order Casuariiformes See also ratite

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Etymology

Origin of cassowary

1605–15; by uncertain mediation < Central Moluccan kasuwari, kasuwali

Explanation

A cassowary is a large flightless bird that's related to an emu. Cassowaries are native to parts of Australia and New Guinea. Though the cassowary is shorter than its leggy emu relatives, these birds are actually heavier — second only to the ostrich. Cassowaries are brightly colored and have a distinctive casque, or helmet, on top of their heads, which some biologists suspect helps the birds amplify a deep "boom" sound they often make. They're also incredibly shy, and difficult to spot in the wild. Cassowary is from the Papuan kasu weri, "horned head."

Example Sentences

A southern cassowary chick, one of the world's largest and deadliest birds, has been successfully hatched for the first time at a bird park in the Cotswolds.

From BBC • Sep. 8, 2024

That’s because the southern cassowary, for all its fearsome reputation, is powerfully shy, and remarkably good at making itself scarce.

From New York Times • Jun. 30, 2023

Among the animals they studied are ostriches, cassowary birds and wombats.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2021

That precision implies sophisticated knowledge — even management — of cassowary movements.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 28, 2021

A few of the aborigines, however, make themselves cloaks of opossum or kangaroo skin, stitching the pieces together with the nerve-fibres of the cassowary; but this kind of garment is of rare occurrence.

From Celebrated Travels and Travellers Part III. The Great Explorers of the Nineteenth Century by D'Anvers, N.