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

PLURAL

birds-of-paradise

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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Etymology

Origin of bird of paradise¹

First recorded in 1600–10

Origin of bird-of-paradise¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Origin of Bird of Paradise¹

First recorded in 1650–60

Example Sentences

I tried bringing a bird of paradise into the living room and a few months later it was covered in scale.

From Los Angeles Times

They got into my big dracaena, my fiddle-leaf fig, my bird of paradise.

From Los Angeles Times

A large bird of paradise plant catches the light from the window at the entrance.

From New York Times

Expectation: If I tag you on Instagram, can I get that bird of paradise for free?

From Los Angeles Times

Other species—birds of paradise and bowerbirds, in particular—also mount impressive sexual displays.

From Science Magazine