rhea

[ree-uh]

noun

the ramie plant or fiber.

Origin of rhea

First recorded in 1850–55, rhea is from the Assamese word rihā

Rhea

[ree-uh]

noun

Classical Mythology. a Titan, the daughter of Uranus and Gaea, the wife and sister of Cronus, and the mother of Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Hades, Demeter, and Hestia: identified with Cybele and, by the Romans, with Ops.

Astronomy. one of the moons of Saturn.

(lowercase) either of two South American, ratite birds, Rhea americana or Pterocnemia pennata, resembling the African ostrich but smaller and having three toes.

a female given name.

-rhea

variant of -rrhea.

Compare rheo-.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for rhea

Contemporary Examples of rhea

He's been with the model Rhea Durham since 2001, and the two were married in 2009.
Mark Wahlberg's Oscar Pitch
Marlow Stern
December 6, 2010

Historical Examples of rhea

Poseidon was the son of Kronos and Rhea, and the brother of Zeus.
Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome
E.M. Berens
Demeter (from Ge-meter, earth-mother) was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea.
Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome
E.M. Berens
The rhea is easily tamed, and is constantly seen about the huts of the Patagonians.
The Western World
W.H.G. Kingston
Maternal Rhea treasures in her breast All marbles: purple, green, and white.
Life Immovable
Kostes Palamas
We recognised the bird at once as the Rhea Americana, or American ostrich.
On the Banks of the Amazon
W.H.G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for rhea

rhea

noun

either of two large fast-running flightless birds, Rhea americana or Pterocnemia pennata, inhabiting the open plains of S South America: order Rheiformes . They are similar to but smaller than the ostrich, having three-toed feet and a completely feathered bodySee ratite

Word Origin for rhea

C19: New Latin; arbitrarily named after Rhea 1

Rhea

noun

Greek myth a Titaness, wife of Cronus and mother of several of the gods, including Zeus: a fertility goddessRoman counterpart: Ops

Rhea

noun

the second largest satellite of the planet Saturn

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for rhea

South American ostrich, 1801, Modern Latin genus name, for unknown reasons from Greek Rhea, name of a titaness, mother of Zeus, a name of unknown origin. As a moon of Saturn, discovered 1672.