ostrich
Americannoun
-
a large, two-toed, swift-footed flightless bird, Struthio camelus, indigenous to Africa and Arabia, domesticated for its plumage: the largest of living birds.
-
(not used scientifically) a rhea.
-
a person who attempts to ignore unpleasant facts or situations.
noun
-
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
-
another name for rhea
-
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
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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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!
Vocabulary lists containing ostrich
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
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
“It’s this ostrich with his head in the sand approach.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 28, 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
One ostrich has been found but he advised residents to be careful.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2024
In the center of the block-long display window an ostrich, in a heated clear-plastic cage, returned his stare.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
Among the dumbest birds are insectivores, such as bee-eaters, and giants, such as ostriches.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
The African habitat - which was built in 2001 - is home to reticulated giraffes, maneless zebras, white rhinos, ostriches, crowned cranes and a greater kudu - a type of antelope.
From BBC ● Jan. 13, 2025
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
Personal revelation exists alongside the land speed of ostriches.
From New York Times ● Jun. 19, 2024
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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
