\Cas"so*wa*ry\, n.; pl. {Cassowaries}. [Malay
kasu[=a]ri.] (Zo["o]l.)
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.