Word Study
rhea
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Noun rhea has 3 senses
- rhea(n = noun.person) Array - fertility goddess in ancient Greek mythology; wife of Cronus and mother of Zeus; identified with Roman Ops and Cybele of ancient Asia Minor; Array is a kind of titaness
- rhea(n = noun.animal) nandu, pterocnemia pennata - smaller of two tall fast-running flightless birds similar to ostriches but three-toed; found from Peru to Strait of Magellan; Array is a kind of flightless bird, ratite, ratite bird
- rhea(n = noun.animal) rhea americana - larger of two tall fast-running flightless birds similar to ostriches but three-toed; found from Brazil to Patagonia; Array is a kind of flightless bird, ratite, ratite bird
has particulars: agdistis
is a member of genus pterocnemia, pterocnemia
is a member of genus rhea
CIDE DICTIONARY
rhea, n.
The ramie or grass-cloth plant. See Grass-cloth plant , under Grass. [1913 Webster]
rhea, n. [L., a proper name.].
Any one of three species of large South American ostrichlike birds of the genera Rhea and Pterocnemia . Called also the American ostrich . [1913 Webster]
" The common rhea, or nandou (Rhea Americana ), ranges from Brazil to Patagonia. Darwin's rhea (Pterocnemia Darwinii ), of Patagonia, is smaller, and has the legs feathered below the knee."
[1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
rhea, n. any of several S. American flightless birds of the family Rheidae, like but smaller than an ostrich.
Etymology
mod.L genus name f. L f. Gk Rhea mother of Zeus
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