ratite

ratite
noun Etymology: ultimately from Latin ratitus marked with the figure of a raft, from ratis raft Date: 1877 a bird with a flat breastbone; especially any of various mostly flightless birds (as an ostrich, rhea, emu, moa, or kiwi) with small or rudimentary wings and no keel on the sternum that are probably of polyphyletic origin and are assigned to a number of different orders • ratite adjective

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • ratite — RATÍTE s.f. pl. (zool.) Acarinate. – Din fr. ratites. Trimis de ana zecheru, 13.09.2007. Sursa: DEX 98  ratíte s. f. pl. Trimis de siveco, 10.08.2004. Sursa: Dicţionar ortografic  RATÍTE …   Dicționar Român

  • Ratite — Rat ite (r[a^]t [imac]t), a. (Zo[ o]l.) Of or pertaining to the Ratit[ae]. n. One of the Ratit[ae]. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • ratite — ● ratite nom masculin (latin ratis, radeau) Oiseau aux pattes robustes, aux ailes rudimentaires, tel que l autruche, le nandou, l émeu, le casoar et le kiwi, incapable de voler …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • ratite — [rat′īt] adj. [< L ratitus, marked with the figure of a raft < ratis, raft, prob. < IE base * rēt , *rōt , beam > ROOD] designating a former group (Ratitae) of large, flightless birds of various orders having a flat breastbone without …   English World dictionary

  • Ratite — Taxobox name = Ratites image width = 258px image caption = Various ratite birds regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Aves superordo = Paleognathae ordo = Struthioniformes ordo authority = Latham, 1790 subdivision ranks = Families… …   Wikipedia

  • ratite — /rat uyt/, adj. 1. having a flat, unkeeled sternum, as an ostrich, cassowary, emu, or moa. n. 2. a bird having a ratite breastbone. [1875 80; < L rat(is) raft + ITE2] * * * Any bird species that cannot fly because its smooth, or raftlike, sternum …   Universalium

  • ratite — rat•ite [[t]ˈræt aɪt[/t]] adj. 1) orn having a flat, unkeeled sternum, as an ostrich, cassowary, emu, or moa 2) orn a bird having a ratite sternum • Etymology: 1875–80; < L rat(is) raft + ite II …   From formal English to slang

  • ratite Ornithology — [ ratʌɪt] adjective denoting a bird having a flat breastbone without a keel and so unable to fly, such as an ostrich, emu, etc. Contrasted with carinate. noun a ratite bird. Origin C19: from L. ratis raft + ite1 …   English new terms dictionary

  • ratite bird — noun flightless birds having flat breastbones lacking a keel for attachment of flight muscles: ostriches; cassowaries; emus; moas; rheas; kiwis; elephant birds • Syn: ↑ratite, ↑flightless bird • Ant: ↑carinate (for: ↑ratite) …   Useful english dictionary

  • Ratite — Struthioniformes Struthioniformes …   Wikipédia en Français

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