rara avis

[ rair-uh-ey-vis; Latin rah-rah ah-wis ]
See synonyms for rara avis on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural ra·rae a·ves [rair-ee ey-veez; Latin rah-rahy ah-wes]. /ˈrɛər i ˈeɪ viz; Latin ˈrɑ raɪ ˈɑ wɛs/.
  1. a rare person or thing; rarity.

Origin of rara avis

1
First recorded in 1600–10, rara avis is from Latin rāra avis “rare bird”

Words Nearby rara avis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use rara avis in a sentence

  • When we come to so-called civil matters, the lady who does not know and exercise her legal privileges is indeed a rara avis.

    The Law and the Poor | Edward Abbott Parry
  • Now this Mrs. Fitzsnob is not a rara avis, but is frequently met with.

    Bohemian Society | Lydia Leavitt

British Dictionary definitions for rara avis

rara avis

/ (ˈrɛərə ˈeɪvɪs) /


nounplural rarae aves (ˈrɛəriː ˈeɪviːz)
  1. an unusual, uncommon, or exceptional person or thing

Origin of rara avis

1
Latin: rare bird

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012