ostrichy

English

Etymology

From ostrich +‎ -y.

Adjective

ostrichy (comparative more ostrichy, superlative most ostrichy)

1. Resembling or characteristic of an ostrich.

   Synonyms: struthious, struthian

   • 1914 July 22, “Once upon a Time. Transmigration.”, in Punch, or The London Charivari, volume CXLVII, London: […] the Office, […], page 85:

     Once upon a time there was an ostrich who, though very ostrichy, was even more of an egoist.

   • 1982, Nancy Garden, Annie on My Mind, New York, N.Y.: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, →ISBN, page 18:

     He nodded and gave us both a kind of ostrichy smile.

   • 1988, Scott Russell Sanders, The Engineer of Beasts, New York, N.Y.: Orchard Books, →ISBN, page 102:

     He beamed down at her from his ostrichy height.

   • 1990, Diane Duane, High Wizardry, Yearling Books, published 1992, →ISBN, page 106:

     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.

   • 2011, Tyra Banks, [ghostwriter Michael Salort], Modelland, Delacorte Press, →ISBN, page 185:

     And then her neck: “Too ostrichy. Preferable fowl neck: swan.”

   • 2011, Zannah Kearns, No Use Crying, Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, published 2012, →ISBN:

     Stuffing that head of his into the sand – his ostrichy, beaky face.

   • 2011, Karen Russell, Swamplandia!, Vintage, published 2012, →ISBN, pages 93–94:

     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: […]

   • 2017, Julie Berry, The Emperor’s Ostrich, New York, N.Y.: Roaring Brook Press, →ISBN, pages 259–260:

     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, John Freeman Gill, The Gargoyle Hunters, New York, N.Y.: Alfred A. Knopf, →ISBN, page 25:

     His chin held high, he tipped the glass to his mouth and swallowed its contents with ostrichy gulps of his skinny, stubble-stippled throat.

   • 2020, Melissa Wiley (pen name; Melissa Peterson), The Nerviest Girl in the World, Borzoi Books, →ISBN, page 119:

     “Why, yes, sir,” said Mary, looking up at him with big ostrichy eyes.

2. Characteristic of one who buries one’s head in the sand (like in popular depictions of ostriches).
   • 1923, A. R. Wadia, “Pragmatic Idealism”, in Contemporary Indian Philosophy, London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd, […], published 1958, page 633:

     In the latter case we get a very ostrichy metaphysics: an attempt to solve a problem by denying its existence.

   • 1980, L. R. Gay, Educational Evaluation and Measurement: Competencies for Analysis and Application, Charles E. Merrill Publishing Co., →ISBN, page 63:

     To purposely not identify them because the result might be somewhat overwhelming is an “ostrichy” response to say the least.

   • 2000, Tibor Fischer, I Like Being Killed: Stories, Henry Holt and Company, published 2015, →ISBN:

     There was such blackness ahead, he opted for the childish, ostrichy trick of pretending it wasn’t there.