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

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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

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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

“Director Matson now blames me for his ostrich troubles and his conflict of interest troubles,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

The ostrich eggshells were probably used as containers for carrying or storing water.

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

People have got it into their heads, through the cinema and the comic advertisements, that knights in armour generally wore ostrich plumes, nodding like stalks of pampas grass.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

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

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

The animals said to have been featured in various Roman spectacles include hippopotamuses, elephants, rhinoceroses, bears, ostriches and big cats like lions and tigers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 2024

Well, except for the emus and the ostriches, but they seemed more like bears anyway, if you asked Zeke.

From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness

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