bird of paradise
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bird of paradise
n. pl. birds of paradise
1. Any of various birds of the family Paradisaeidae, native to northeast Australia, New Guinea, and adjacent islands, usually having brilliant plumage and long tail feathers in the male.
2. Any of several African plants of the genus Strelitzia, especially S. reginae, cultivated for their showy orange and blue flowers that emerge from a beak-shaped bract.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
bird of paradise
n
1. (Animals) any songbird of the family Paradisaeidae of New Guinea and neighbouring regions, the males of which have brilliantly coloured ornate plumage
2. (Plants) bird-of-paradise flower any of various banana-like plants of the genus Strelitzia, esp S. reginae, that are native to tropical southern Africa and South America and have purple bracts and large orange or yellow flowers resembling birds' heads: family Strelitziaceae
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
bird′ of par′adise
n.
any of various songbirds of the family Paradisaeidae, of New Guinea and adjacent regions, the males of which typically have elegant plumes used in mating displays.
[1850–60]
bird-of-par•a•dise
(ˈbɜrd əvˈpær əˌdaɪs, -ˌdaɪz)n., pl. birds-of-paradise.
a S African plant, Strelitzia reginae, having a stiff flower with five stamens and two erect, pointed orange-and-blue petals.
Also called bird′-of-par′adise flow`er. [1880–85]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
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| Noun | 1. |  bird of paradise - a tropical flowering shrub having bright orange or red flowers; sometimes placed in genus PoincianaCaesalpinia, genus Caesalpinia - small spiny tropical trees or shrubs; includes the small genus or subgenus Poinciana flowering shrub - shrub noted primarily for its flowers |
| 2. |  bird of paradise - ornamental plant of tropical South Africa and South America having stalks of orange and purplish-blue flowers resembling a birdherb, herbaceous plant - a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests genus Strelitzia, Strelitzia - small genus of large perennial evergreen herbs having leaves resembling those of banana plants; sometimes placed in family Musaceae | |
| 3. |  bird of paradise - any of numerous brilliantly colored plumed birds of the New Guinea areaoscine, oscine bird - passerine bird having specialized vocal apparatus family Paradisaeidae, Paradisaeidae - birds of paradise Ptloris paradisea, riflebird - velvety black Australian bird of paradise with green and purple iridescence on head and tail |
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