cassowary Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun large black flightless bird of Australia and New Guinea having a horny head crest

Malay kasuari.

plural Cassowaries

(Zoöl.) 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.