ostrich. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

ostrich

SYLLABICATION:	os·trich
PRONUNCIATION:	strch, ôs-
NOUN:	Inflected forms: pl. ostrich or os·trich·es 1a. A large, swift-running flightless bird (Struthio camelus) of Africa, characterized by a long bare neck, small head, and two-toed feet. It is the largest living bird. b. A rhea. 2. One who tries to avoid disagreeable situations by refusing to face them.
ETYMOLOGY:	Middle English, from Old French ostrusce, ostrice and Medieval Latin ostrica, both from Vulgar Latin ^*avis strthi : Latin avis, bird; see awi- in Appendix I + Late Latin strthi, ostrich; see struthious.


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.