bustard
bustard Lexical Profile
bustard Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Any of several large, heavily built terrestrial birds of the family Otididae, native to the open plains, dry savannas, and steppes of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, characterized by their stout legs and elaborate courtship displays.
"While driving across the African savanna, the wildlife guide pointed out a Kori bustard striding majestically through the tall grass."
Word Nuance & Usage
Due to visual and phonetic similarities, 'bustard' is occasionally confused with or jokingly substituted for the unrelated vulgar noun 'bastard'.
• Rhymes for bustard
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'bustard', derived from Old French 'bistarde', which ultimately stems from the Latin 'avis tarda', meaning 'slow bird' (despite the bird actually being a fast runner).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.