os‧trich /ˈɒstrɪtʃ $ ˈɒː-, ˈɑː-/ noun [countable]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: ostrusce, from Vulgar Latin avis struthio, from Latin avis 'bird' + Greek strouthos 'ostrich']
[Sense 2: Origin: Because ostriches were believed to bury their heads in sand so that their hunters could not see them]

1. a large African bird with long legs, that runs very quickly but cannot fly

2. informal someone who does not deal with difficult problems but tries to pretend that they do not exist

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲