cassowary

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: cas=so=war=y

CIDE DICTIONARY

cassowary, n. [Malay kasuāri.].

 A large bird, of the genus Casuarius, found in the east Indies. It is smaller and stouter than the ostrich. Its head is armed with a kind of helmet of horny substance, consisting of plates overlapping each other, and it has a group of long sharp spines on each wing which are used as defensive organs. It is a shy bird, and runs with great rapidity. Other species inhabit New Guinea, Australia, etc.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

cassowary, n. (pl. -ies) any large flightless Australasian bird of the genus Casuarius, with heavy body, stout legs, a wattled neck, and a bony crest on its forehead.

Etymology

Malay kasuari, kasavari