ratite

[ rat-ahyt ]

adjective

1. having a flat, unkeeled sternum, as an ostrich, cassowary, emu, or moa.

noun

1. a bird having a ratite breastbone.

ratite

/ ˈrætaɪt /

adjective

1. (of flightless birds) having a breastbone that lacks a keel for the attachment of flight muscles
2. of or denoting the flightless birds, formerly classified as a group (the Ratitae ), that have a flat breastbone, feathers lacking vanes, and reduced wings

noun

1. a bird, such as an ostrich, kiwi, or rhea, that belongs to this group; a flightless bird

Word History and Origins

Origin of ratite¹

1875–80; < Latin rat ( is ) raft + -ite ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of ratite¹

C19: from Latin ratis raft

Example Sentences

Braun says that the data can be used to better understand everything from the parallel evolution of flightlessness in ratites like emus and kiwis to the evolution of vision and song learning in birds overall.

From Washington Post

Another study7 investigated a different basis for flight loss in ratites — a group of birds that includes the cassowary, ostrich and kiwi, and in which flight was lost multiple times in the deep past.

From Nature

But living ratites have exceptional short femora that move very little while walking and running.

From Scientific American

It was a ratite, a flightless bird of the same family as emus and ostriches, belonging to a group appropriately called elephant birds.

From Scientific American

At one point, researchers believed that D. stirtoni was related to other flightless ratites, like emus and ostriches.

From National Geographic