Dictionary

ostrichy en · ADJ

Etymology

From ostrich + -y.

Meanings

1. Resembling or characteristic of an ostrich.
   • And then her neck: “Too ostrichy. Preferable fowl neck: swan.” 2011, Tyra Banks, [ghostwriter Michael Salort], Modelland, Delacorte Press, →ISBN, page 185:
   • He beamed down at her from his ostrichy height. 1988, Scott Russell Sanders, The Engineer of Beasts, New York, N.Y.: Orchard Books, →ISBN, page 102:
   • Stuffing that head of his into the sand – his ostrichy, beaky face. 2011, Zannah Kearns, No Use Crying, Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, published 2012, →ISBN:
   • “Why, yes, sir,” said Mary, looking up at him with big ostrichy eyes. 2020, Melissa Wiley (pen name; Melissa Peterson), The Nerviest Girl in the World, Borzoi Books, →ISBN, page 119:
   • This one went all on its hind legs, its long thin tail stretched out behind it for balance: it went with a long-legged ostrichy gait that Dairine suspected could turn into an incredible sprint. 1990, Diane Duane, High Wizardry, Yearling Books, published 1992, →ISBN, page 106:
   • His chin held high, he tipped the glass to his mouth and swallowed its contents with ostrichy gulps of his skinny, stubble-stippled throat. 2017, John Freeman Gill, The Gargoyle Hunters, New York, N.Y.: Alfred A. Knopf, →ISBN, page 25:
   • He nodded and gave us both a kind of ostrichy smile. 1982, Nancy Garden, Annie on My Mind, New York, N.Y.: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, →ISBN, page 18:
   • He flapped out his arms, pretending they were ostrich wings, stuck out his bottom, and waddled around, bobbing his head in a gifted impression of Lightfoot’s ostrichy gait. 2017, Julie Berry, The Emperor’s Ostrich, New York, N.Y.: Roaring Brook Press, →ISBN, pages 259–260:
   • Ossie had a green freckle of toothpaste on her upper lip, her hair was pulled into a high ponytail for sleep purposes, her cheeks were sunburned, she looked pretty and dumb with her same big-eyed, ostrichy features, and all these outside things were so as-ever and ordinary that I wanted to scream at her: […] 2011, Karen Russell, Swamplandia!, Vintage, published 2012, →ISBN, pages 93–94:
   • Once upon a time there was an ostrich who, though very ostrichy, was even more of an egoist. 1914 July 22, “Once upon a Time. Transmigration.”, in Punch, or The London Charivari, volume CXLVII, London: […] the Office, […], page 85:
2. Characteristic of one who buries one’s head in the sand (like in popular depictions of ostriches).
   • There was such blackness ahead, he opted for the childish, ostrichy trick of pretending it wasn’t there. 2000, Tibor Fischer, I Like Being Killed: Stories, Henry Holt and Company, published 2015, →ISBN:
   • In the latter case we get a very ostrichy metaphysics: an attempt to solve a problem by denying its existence. 1923, A. R. Wadia, “Pragmatic Idealism”, in Contemporary Indian Philosophy, London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd, […], published 1958, page 633:
   • To purposely not identify them because the result might be somewhat overwhelming is an “ostrichy” response to say the least. 1980, L. R. Gay, Educational Evaluation and Measurement: Competencies for Analysis and Application, Charles E. Merrill Publishing Co., →ISBN, page 63:

Forms

Synonyms

struthious · struthian