Ostriches

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A large flightless bird native to Africa, known for its long legs and neck, and capable of running at high speeds
2. A species of bird characterized by a distinctive body shape, with feathers adapted for insulation rather than flight, and a powerful build for running
3. An avian creature recognized for its inability to fly, featuring a unique blend of speed, size, and social behavior within its native habitats

Etymology: The plural "ostriches" simply follows the regular English pattern for nouns ending in "-ch," adding "-es." The singular "ostrich" is the more interesting word, and its story runs through a bird-name that the Greeks made from a sparrow and a camel. The Greek "strouthokamelos," which literally combined "strouthos" ("sparrow") and "kamelos" ("camel"), named the bird for its odd mix of a small-bird look with the size and long-necked bulk of a camel. Its shorter form "strouthion" passed into Latin as "struthio," and Latin speakers then added "avis" ("bird"), producing a compound meaning roughly "bird-ostrich." From there the word travelled through Vulgar Latin "austruthio" into Old French "ostruce," and then into Anglo-Norman and Middle English, where it appeared as "ostrich" in the 1300s. Spanish "avestruz" and Portuguese "avestruz" preserve the same Latin compound, with the "avis" element still visible in the Iberian forms.

Synonyms: birds, flightless birds, large birds, ratites, avian species

Antonyms: sparrows, finches, eagles, hummingbirds, pigeons