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emu
(redirected from Dromaius novaehollandiae)

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.06 sec.
emu or emeu (both: ē`my), common name for a large, flightless bird of Australia, related to the cassowary cassowary (kăs`əwâr'ē)
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 and the ostrich ostrich, common name for a large flightless bird (Struthio camelus) of Africa and parts of SW Asia, allied to the rhea , the emu and the extinct moa .
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. It is 5 to 6 ft (150–180 cm) tall and a very swift runner. The head and neck are feathered. The six or seven dark green eggs, laid in a sandy pit, are sometimes incubated by the male and require 56 days to hatch. The emu is easily tamed. There is only one living species, Dromaius novaehollandiae. Emus are classified in the phylum Chordata Chordata (kôrdā`tə,–dä`–)
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, subphylum Vertebrata, class Aves, order Struthioniformes, family Dromaiidae.

emu

Enlarge picture
Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)
(credit: V. Serventy—Bruce Coleman Inc./EB Inc.)
Ratite of Australia. After the ostrich, the emu is the second-largest living bird. They stand more than 5 ft (1.5 m) tall and often weigh more than 100 lbs (45 kg). The common emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae, family Dromaiidae), the only survivor of several forms exterminated by settlers, has a stout body and long legs. Both sexes are brownish, with a dark-gray head and neck. Emus can run up to 30 mph (50 kph); if cornered, they kick with their large feet. They mate for life and forage in small flocks for fruits and insects but sometimes damage crops. See also cassowary.


EMU

(Economic and Monetary Union) The consolidation of European currencies into one monetary unit called the "euro," which phased in on January 1, 1999. Accounting systems that dealt with the currencies of the participating countries had to deal with both native and euro values. On January 1, 2002, euro notes and coins were made available, with national currencies withdrawn by March 1 of that year. Public and private companies spent more than $150 billion modifying their information systems to accommodate the euro. England, Sweden and Denmark have not adopted the euro, but the countries that were initially involved are:

Austria
Belgium
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Ireland
Italy
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Portugal
Spain


emu
a large Australian flightless bird, Dromaius novaehollandiae, similar to the ostrich but with three-toed feet and grey or brown plumage: order Casuariiformes


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