Definition

1. Noun:
   • A large, flightless bird native to Africa: The ostrich is characterized by its long neck and legs, two-toed feet, and is the largest living species of bird. It is known for its fast running speed.
   • A person who avoids or refuses to accept unpleasant realities: This figurative meaning stems from the popular but inaccurate belief that ostriches bury their heads in the sand to avoid danger.

Usage and Examples

• Noun (Animal):
  • The ostrich can run at speeds of over 70 kilometers per hour.
  • We saw a herd of ostriches on the African savanna.
• Noun (Figurative: Person):
  • He's such an ostrich about his health; he refuses to see a doctor.
  • Politicians can't be ostriches about climate change.

Advanced Usage

• "To play/bury one's head in the sand like an ostrich": To deliberately ignore an obvious problem or unpleasant situation.
  • You can't just bury your head in the sand like an ostrich and hope the financial issues go away.

Variants and Related Words

• Ostrich-like (adj): Behaving like an ostrich in the figurative sense; characterized by avoidance.
  • His ostrich-like attitude towards the evidence is frustrating.

Synonyms

• For the bird: (None – it is a specific animal name).
• For the person: avoider, denier, ignorer.

Related Idioms

• "To have the digestion of an ostrich": To have a very strong stomach or the ability to eat almost anything without ill effect.
  • After eating that entire pizza by himself, we joked he must have the digestion of an ostrich.

Noun

1. fast-running African flightless bird with two-toed feet; largest living bird
2. a person who refuses to face reality or recognize the truth (a reference to the popular notion that the ostrich hides from danger by burying its head in the sand)