What does ratite mean?

Definitions for ratite
ˈræt aɪtratite

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word ratite.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. ratite, ratite bird, flightless birdnoun

    flightless birds having flat breastbones lacking a keel for attachment of flight muscles: ostriches; cassowaries; emus; moas; rheas; kiwis; elephant birds

Wiktionary

  1. ratitenoun

    A bird of the order of Struthioniformes, a diverse group of large running, flightless birds, mostly extinct, but including the cassowary, elephant bird, emu, kiwi, moa, ostrich, rhea and tinamou

Wikipedia

  1. Ratite

    A ratite () is any of a diverse group of flightless, large, long-necked, and long-legged birds of the infraclass Palaeognathae. Kiwi, the exception, are much smaller and shorter-legged and are the only nocturnal extant ratites. The systematics of and relationships within the paleognath clade have been in flux. Previously, all the flightless members had been assigned to the order Struthioniformes, which is more recently regarded as containing only the ostrich. The modern bird superorder Palaeognathae consists of ratites and the flighted Neotropic tinamous (compare to Neognathae). Unlike other flightless birds, the ratites have no keel on their sternum — hence the name, from the Latin ratis (raft, a vessel which has no keel - in contradistinction to extant flighted birds with a keel). Without this to anchor their wing muscles, they could not have flown even if they developed suitable wings. Ratites are a paraphyletic group; tinamous fall within them, and are the sister group of the extinct moa. This implies that flightlessness is a trait that evolved independently multiple times in different ratite lineages.Most parts of the former supercontinent Gondwana have ratites, or did have until the fairly recent past. So did Europe in the Paleocene and Eocene, from where the first flightless paleognaths are known. Ostriches were present in Asia as recently as the Holocene, although the genus is thought to have originated in Africa. However, the ostrich order may have evolved in Eurasia. A recent study posits a Laurasian origin for the clade. Geranoidids, which may have been ratites, existed in North America.

ChatGPT

  1. ratite

    A ratite is a type of flightless bird that is characterized by its flat breastbone, which is not equipped with the keel needed for flight. The term "ratite" originates from the Latin term "ratis", which means "raft". This refers to the flat shape of the bird's breastbone. The group includes some large birds such as ostriches, emus, kiwis, and more.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Ratiteadjective

    of or pertaining to the Ratitae

  2. Ratitenoun

    one of the Ratitae

Wikidata

  1. Ratite

    A ratite is any of a diverse group of large, flightless birds of the superorder Palaeognathae. There is still some controversy regarding the systematics involved. Some sources state that Ratites are synonymous with Struthioniformes, while other sources state that Ratites are the same group, only that the order Struthioniformes contains only the Ostrich and possibly the Elephant Bird. Ratites belong to the modern bird superorder Palaeognathae which consists of ratites and tinamous. Unlike other flightless birds, the ratites have no keel on their sternum – hence the name from the Latin ratis. Without this to anchor their wing muscles, they could not fly even if they were to develop suitable wings. Most parts of the former Gondwana have ratites, or did have until the fairly recent past. Their closest living relatives are the tinamous of South America. Some taxonomical systems consider the various families of ratites to be orders, but the system used here uses the order "Struthioniformes" to refer to all ratites.

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

Anagrams for ratite »

  1. attire

  2. tertia

How to pronounce ratite?

How to say ratite in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of ratite in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of ratite in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1


Translations for ratite

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for ratite »

Translation

Find a translation for the ratite definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"ratite." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 22 Dec. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/ratite>.

Discuss these ratite definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for ratite? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    ratite

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    remarkable or wonderful
    A splay
    B usurious
    C bonzer
    D naiant

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for ratite: