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• bird of paradise
  bird of paradise

  noun

  any of several passerine birds of the family Paradisaeidae, of New Guinea and adjacent islands, the males of which have ornate, colorful plumage.
• bird-of-paradise
  bird-of-paradise

  noun

  any of several plants of the genus Strelitzia, native to southern Africa, especially S. reginae, having a large, showy orange and blue inflorescence.
• Bird of Paradise
  Bird of Paradise

  noun

  the constellation Apus.

bird of paradise

¹ American  

noun

1. any of several passerine birds of the family Paradisaeidae, of New Guinea and adjacent islands, the males of which have ornate, colorful plumage.

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bird-of-paradise ² American  

[burd-uhv-par-uh-dahys, -dahyz] / ˈbɜrd əvˈpær əˌdaɪs, -ˌdaɪz /

noun

birds-of-paradise plural

1. Also called bird-of-paradise flower.  any of several plants of the genus Strelitzia, native to southern Africa, especially S. reginae, having a large, showy orange and blue inflorescence.

2. a small tree or shrub, Caesalpinia (Poinciana ) gilliesii, native to South America, having featherlike leaves and showy yellow flowers with red stamens.

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Bird of Paradise ³ American  

noun

Astronomy.

1. the constellation Apus.

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bird of paradise British  

noun

1. any songbird of the family Paradisaeidae of New Guinea and neighbouring regions, the males of which have brilliantly coloured ornate plumage

2. 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

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• birds-of-paradise
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bird of paradise¹

First recorded in 1600–10

Origin of bird-of-paradise²

First recorded in 1880–85

Origin of Bird of Paradise³

First recorded in 1650–60

Example Sentences

“There was a privet hedge, a lonely juniper, a hibiscus, a large bird of paradise and a camellia bush,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

As regional emblems go, only the palm tree seems to rival the bird of paradise in popularity.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2024

Like winged creatures of the sky it draws its nickname from, the bird of paradise seems always ready for takeoff, angling itself toward the light of better tomorrows, or at least the possibility of them.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2024

Over the weekend, a middle school teacher, Kahealani David, 41, and her 12-year-old daughter, Vaihere, brought bird of paradise flowers as an offering to leave on the cooled lava from previous eruptions.

From New York Times • Dec. 9, 2022

In return for exporting bird of paradise plumes and spices, New Guineans received Southeast Asian goods, including even such luxury items as Dong Son bronze drums and Chinese porcelain.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond