ostrich

Meaning

Noun

• A large flightless bird (Struthio camelus) native to Africa.
• One who buries one's head in the sand instead of acknowledging problems.
• The hypothetical completion of a hole five strokes under par (a quintuple birdie, quadruple eagle, triple albatross, or double condor).

Origin

• From Middle English ostrich, ostriche, ostryche, ostrige, borrowed from Anglo-Norman ostrige and Old French ostruce, from Vulgar Latin *austruthio, from Latin avis + strūthiō, from Ancient Greek στρουθίων, or shortened from strūthiocamēlus, from Ancient Greek στρουθιοκάμηλος, from στρουθός + κάμηλος. Compare Spanish avestruz and Portuguese avestruz.