n.1 a large African swift-running flightless bird, Struthio camelus, with long legs and two toes on each foot.
2 a person who refuses to accept facts (from the belief that ostriches bury their heads in the sand when pursued).
Phrases and idioms:
ostrich-farm a place that breeds ostriches for their feathers. ostrich-plume a feather or bunch of feathers of an ostrich.
Etymology: ME f. OF ostric(h)e f. L avis bird + LL struthio f. Gk strouthion ostrich f. strouthos sparrow, ostrich