[os.trich] n [ME, fr. OF ostrusce, fr. (assumed) VL avis struthio, fr. L avis bird + LL struthio ostrich--more at struthious] (13c) 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. [fr. 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 adj