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# ostrich

noun (ostrich, ostriches)

«ostrich» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. An ostrich is a very large bird from Africa that cannot fly but runs very fast on its long, strong legs. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/ostrich/#m1)
2. It is the biggest bird in the world and lays the biggest eggs. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/ostrich/#m2)

### In the lessons

In maths: a bird counted; 2 legs each; also its speed or the weight of its eggs. In science: an ostrich is a bird even though it cannot fly; it has 2 toes on each foot. Myth: ostriches do not really bury their heads in the sand. Phrases: ostrich egg, ostrich feather, an ostrich farm.

### Examples

- The farm has 12 ostriches. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/ostrich/#x1)
- An ostrich can run 70 km in an hour. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/ostrich/#x2)
- An ostrich egg weighs 1 kg. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/ostrich/#x3)
- How many legs do 5 ostriches have? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/ostrich/#x4)
- The ostrich is the biggest bird in the world. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/ostrich/#x5)
- Ostriches cannot fly, but they can run very fast. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/ostrich/#x6)
- An ostrich kicks hard to defend itself. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/ostrich/#x7)
- We saw ostriches on the safari park trip. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/ostrich/#x8)
- "Is that the Ostrich you talked about?" said the Eagle in disgust. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/ostrich/#x9)

### Note

Plural «ostriches» (add -es after ch). A counted animal with 2 legs, often with a speed. Trap: though it is big, an ostrich has 2 legs, not 4. Myth: «hiding its head in the sand» is not true; the saying means ignoring a problem.

## In Jewish tradition

In Leviticus it is one of the birds the Torah lists as unclean and not allowed as food.

**Interpretation.** The food laws name unclean birds, and the tradition keeps them from the diet of Jews who follow the Torah.

### Examples

- and the ostrich, and the night-hawk, and the sea-mew, and the hawk after its kinds; (Torah LEV.11.16, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/O/ostrich/#x1)
- I am become a brother to jackals, and a companion to ostriches. (Writings JOB.30.29, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/O/ostrich/#x2)
- The wing of the ostrich beateth joyously; but are her pinions and feathers the kindly stork's? (Writings JOB.39.13, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/O/ostrich/#x3)
- But wild-cats shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of ferrets; and ostriches shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. (Prophets ISA.13.21, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/O/ostrich/#x4)

### Note

Plural «ostriches» (add -es after ch). A counted animal with 2 legs, often with a speed. Trap: though it is big, an ostrich has 2 legs, not 4. Myth: «hiding its head in the sand» is not true; the saying means ignoring a problem.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «ostrich» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/ostrich/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«ostrich» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/ostrich.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «ostrich» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/O/ostrich/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«ostrich» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/ostrich.html) on Mova free.