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ostrich

Etymology and origin of the English word ostrich

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈɒs.tɹɪt͡ʃ/, /ˈɒs.tɹɪd͡ʒ/ (UK); /ˈɔs.tɹɪt͡ʃ/, /ˈɑs.tɹɪt͡ʃ/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English ostrice, borrowed from Old French ostrusce and from Medieval Latin ostrica,[2][3][4] both from Vulgar Latin *avis strūthiō,[2][3][4][5] from Latin avis (“bird”) and Late Latin strūthiō “ostrich”,[2][3][4][5][6] from Ancient Greek στρουθίων (strouthíōn, “ostrich”), from strouthòs megálē “big sparrow”.[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The very large flightless bird of Africa and Arabia (before 1225).[7][3][4]

Semantic evolution

The Greeks also called the bird strouthokámēlos “camel-sparrow” for its long neck.[4] Among its proverbial habits was hiding its head when pursued,[4] from which the adjective use and ostrich policy allude to refusing to face danger or difficulty (1598 attributive);[7][5] ostrichism dates from 1834.[7] The name was applied to the South American rhea (1813).[7]

Timeline

  • before 1225 – the bird.[7][3][4]
  • 1598 – attributive, alluding to hiding one's head.[7]
  • 1813 – the rhea.[7]
  • 1834 – ostrichism.[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A large, swift-running flightless bird, Struthio camelus, of Africa, with a long bare neck, a small head and two-toed feet, the largest living bird.
  2. A rhea.
  3. A person who tries to avoid unpleasant facts or situations by refusing to face them.

Word family

  • ostrichlike
  • struthious
  • rhea
  • emu
  • avian

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Ostrich.” Etymologically, 11 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/ostrich. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·