English > ratite bird: 1 sense > noun 1, animalMeaning | 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, 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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