1.
[syn: Ratitae, superorder Ratitae]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
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]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Ratitae
n 1: used in former classifications to include all ratite bird
orders [syn: Ratitae, superorder Ratitae]