ostrich
ostrich
Definition
os·trich (äs′tric̸h, ôs′-)
noun pl. -·triches or -·trich
- a swift-running bird (Struthio camelus) of Africa and SW Asia, the only member of its order (Struthioniformes): it is the largest and most powerful of living birds, and has a long neck, very long legs with two toes on each foot, and small, useless wings: the white tail and wing feathers of the male are used in millinery and as trimming
- a person who tries to avoid difficult or dangerous situations by refusing to confront them
Etymology: OFr ostrusce < VL avistruthius < L avis, bird + struthio, short for struthiocamelus, ostrich < Gr strouthiokamēlos < strouthos, sparrow + kamēlos, camel
ostrich
Usage Examples
Possessives
- eye: An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
- egg: She said she just thought they were special - ostrich's eggs or something.
Converse of object
- play: It is easy to play the ostrich and pretend that the disaster that is waiting to happen is a figment of imagination.
- see: See ostrich in a farm setting on the banks of the river Eden.
- include: I like the idea of trying hard to include an ostrich into the Christmas story.
- ride: Passengers can join a tour of an ostrich farm or try riding an ostrich.
- do: Why does an ostrich have such a long neck?
- feed: Beside, who's going to feed the ostrich?
Adjective modifier
- male: No unarmed man on earth could stand long before a furious male ostrich without being killed.
- proverbial: We need to engage with our culture and the issues it raises and faces, not bury our heads like the proverbial ostrich.
- female: Showing a female ostrich incubating eggs on a nest consisting of a small circular mound of sand in a field.
- giant: The collection includes a vast range of birds from tiny finches to giant ostriches and talking parrots to diving penguins.
- huge: I looked round and observed eight or ten huge ostriches stalking toward me with slow funereal gait.
Modifies a noun
- feather: The revenue derived from the export of ostrich feathers in 1899 was recorded at half a million.
- Media: Ostrich Media reserves the right to change these rules from time to time.
- plume: She was depicted by Egyptian artists as a woman wearing an ostrich plume on her head.
- steak: Best sellers include baked aubergine, Moroccan lamb and date tagine and ostrich filet steak.
- burger: Do you go spare if you miss your monthly ostrich burger?
- egg: Many of the tombs in the Royal Cemetery were provided with ostrich eggs.
Noun used with modifier
- baby: Meet Ostriches and see baby ostriches hatching in the hatchery.
ostrich Quotes
America cannot be an ostrich, with its head in the sand.
Ihave eyes like a bullfrog, a neck like anostrich and long, limp hair.You just have to be good to survive with that equipment.
