Added 10 October 2026
rhea
/ˈɹiːə/ noun
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about rhea at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Fertility goddess in ancient Greek mythology; wife of Cronus and mother of Zeus; identified with Roman Ops and Cybele of ancient Asia Minor.
- Smaller of two tall fast-running flightless birds similar to ostriches but three-toed; found from Peru to Strait of Magellan.
- Larger of two tall fast-running flightless birds similar to ostriches but three-toed; found from Brazil to Patagonia.
Origin
Learned borrowing from taxonomic name Rhea, from Ancient Greek Ῥέα (Rhéa, “the mother of Zeus in Greek mythology”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)