ostrich

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   fast-running African flightless bird with two-toed feet

   The ostrich can run at remarkable speed.

2. 2
   noun

   a person who refuses to face reality or recognize the truth (a reference to the popular notion that the ostrich hides from danger by burying its head in the sand)

   The ostrich can run at remarkable speed.

3. 3
   noun

   A large flightless bird of the order Struthioniformes.

   The ostrich can run at remarkable speed.

Simplified etymology

Ostrich combines an element derived from Latin avis, “bird,” with one going back to Greek strouthos, “sparrow.” The ancient Greek bird name was megas strouthos, “large sparrow,” and it was also called strouthokamelos, “sparrow camel,” perhaps because of its long neck. The figurative sense for someone who avoids reality comes from the old belief that ostriches hide their heads in sand when hunted.

From Middle English ostrich, ostriche, ostryche, ostrige, borrowed from Anglo-Norman ostrige and Old French ostruce, from Vulgar Latin *austruthio, from Latin avis (“bird”) + strūthiō (“ostrich”), from Ancient Greek στρουθίων (strouthíōn), or shortened from strūthiocamēlus, from Ancient Greek στρουθοκᾰ́μηλος (strouthokắmēlos), from στρουθός (strouthós, “sparrow”) + κάμηλος (kámēlos, “camel”). Compare Spanish avestruz and Portuguese avestruz.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary