CASSOWARY

noun a large bird, of the genus casuarius, found in the east indies. it is smaller and stouter than the ostrich. its head is armed with a kind of helmet of horny substance, consisting of plates overlapping each other, and it has a group of long sharp spines on each wing which are used as defensive organs. it is a shy bird, and runs with great rapidity. other species inhabit new guinea, australia, ·etc.