Ratitae

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Ratitae \Ra*ti"tae\ (r[.a]*t[imac]"t[-e]), n. pl. [NL., fr. L.
     ratis a raft; cf. L. ratitus marked with the figure of a
     raft.] (Zool.)
     An order of birds in which the wings are small, rudimentary,
     or absent, and the breastbone is destitute of a keel. The
     ostrich, emu, moa, and apteryx are examples.


     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  Ratitae
       n : used in former classifications to include all ratite bird
           orders [syn: {superorder Ratitae}]