ratite

English

Etymology

From Latin ratis (“raft”) +‎ -ite; ratites (unlike other birds) lack a keel on their sternum, and rafts are vessels that lack keels.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹætaɪt/

Adjective

ratite (not comparable)

1. Pertaining to running, flightless birds with no keels on their sternums (as opposed to carinate). [from 19th c.]

   Synonym: ratitate

   • 2000, Errol Fuller, Extinct Birds, Oxford, page 37:

     Against what was probably the general expectation, it became undeniable that New Zealand was indeed the home of huge ratite birds.

Noun

ratite (plural ratites)

1. 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 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.

Translations

bird

• Finnish: strutsilintu
• French: ratite (fr) m
• German: Laufvogel (de) m
• Italian: ratite (it) m
• Navajo: tsídii doo ndaatʼáʼii
• Polish: bezgrzebieniowiec m
• Spanish: ratite f

Anagrams

• aettir, rattie, attire, Tiaret

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁa.tit/

Noun

ratite m (plural ratites)

1. ratite

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /raˈti.te/
• Rhymes: -ite
• Hyphenation: ra‧tì‧te

Noun

ratite m (plural ratiti)

1. ratite

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French ratite.

Noun

ratite f pl (plural only)

1. ratite

Declension

plural only	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	ratite	ratitele
genitive-dative	ratite	ratitelor
vocative

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /raˈtite/ [raˈt̪i.t̪e]
• Rhymes: -ite
• Syllabification: ra‧ti‧te

Noun

ratite f (plural ratites)

1. ratite