n.
Pronunciation: ' äs-trich, ' o ̇ s- also -trij
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French ostriz, ostrige, from Vulgar Latin *avis struthio, from Latin avis bird + Late Latin struthio ostrich ― more at STRUTHIOUS
Date: 13th century
1 a : a swift-footed 2-toed flightless ratite bird ( Struthio camelus ) of Africa that is the largest of existing birds and often weighs 300 pounds (140 kilograms) b : RHEA c : leather made from ostrich skin
2 [from the belief that the ostrich when pursued hides its head in the sand and believes itself to be unseen] : one who attempts to avoid danger or difficulty by refusing to face it
– os · trich · like \ - ˌ l ī k \ adjective