English > ratite: 1 sense > noun 1, animal| Meaning | Flightless birds having flat breastbones lacking a keel for attachment / attachment of flight muscles: ostriches; cassowaries; emus; moas; rheas / rheas; kiwis; elephant birds. |
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| Synonyms | ratite bird, flightless bird |
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| Narrower | cassowary | large black flightless bird of Australia and New Guinea having a horny head crest |
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| elephant bird, aepyornis | huge (to 9 ft.) extinct flightless bird of Madagascar / Madagascar |
| emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae, Emu novaehollandiae | large Australian flightless bird similar to the ostrich but smaller |
| kiwi, apteryx | nocturnal flightless bird of New Zealand having a long neck and stout legs |
| moa | Extinct flightless bird of New Zealand |
| ostrich, Struthio camelus | fast-running African flightless bird with two-toed feet |
| rhea, Rhea americana | larger of two tall fast-running flightless birds similar to ostriches but three-toed |
| rhea, nandu, Pterocnemia pennata | smaller of two tall fast-running flightless birds similar to ostriches but three-toed |
| Broader | bird | warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings |
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| Opposite | carinate, carinate bird, flying bird | birds having keeled breastbones for attachment / attachment of flight muscles |
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| Spanish | ratitae |
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| Catalan | estrutioniforme |
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