Ratite
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˈɹætaɪt/ · Part of speech adjective
Quick meaning: Ratite is an adjective meaning Pertaining to running, flightless birds with no keels on their sternums (as opposed to carinate).
Meaning
Pertaining to running, flightless birds with no keels on their sternums (as opposed to carinate).
More Meanings
- A member of a diverse group of mostly large, running, flightless birds that lack keels on their sternums, mostly extinct such as the elephant bird and the moa, but including the extant cassowaries, emu, kiwi, ostrich, and rhea; formerly grouped together in the order Struthioniformes, and including the Paleognathae except the tinamous.
Example Sentences
Against what was probably the general expectation, it became undeniable that New Zealand was indeed the home of huge ratite birds.
Word Forms
- ratites
Synonyms for ratite
Depending on context, synonyms include ratitate.
Antonyms for ratite
Common opposites include carinate.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include atheriniform, cariniform, ctenoidean, stomiatoid, acipenserine, ctenosquamate.
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Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.