ostrich

American  

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

noun

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

• ostrichlike
  adjective

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

In between are Egyptian vultures, which use rocks to crack open ostrich eggs—genuine tool use—but when presented with rocks and chicken eggs simply cannot figure out what to do, suggesting a rather circumscribed “intelligence.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

With the magic of compounding, if we live long enough, our nest egg could look like it was laid by an ostrich.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 2, 2026

Throwing in expectations related to titles and other formalities that are part of James’ job is enough to turn John into a frightened ostrich desperate to find a soft ground to bury his head in.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2025

She recently made a winged look for a queen who wanted them to be made of ostrich feathers.

From BBC • Jul. 19, 2024

“We may be marching into Parts Unknown in search of a missing ostrich, but that is no excuse to neglect your education.”

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood