rara avis
[ rair-uh -ey-vis; Latin rah-rah -ah-wis ]
/ ˈrɛər ə ˈeɪ vɪs; Latin ˈrɑ rɑ ˈɑ wɪs /
noun, plural ra·rae a·ves [rair-ee -ey-veez; Latin rah-rahy -ah-wes]. /ˈrɛər i ˈeɪ viz; Latin ˈrɑ raɪ ˈɑ wɛs/.
a rare person or thing; rarity.
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Origin of rara avis
First recorded in 1600–10, rara avis is from Latin rāra avis “rare bird”
Words nearby rara avis
raptured, rapture of the deep, rapturous, raptus, RAR, rara avis, rare, rarebit, rare book, rare earth, rare-earth element
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for rara avis
rara avis
/ (ˈrɛərə ˈeɪvɪs) /
noun plural rarae aves (ˈrɛəriː ˈeɪviːz)
an unusual, uncommon, or exceptional person or thing
Word Origin for rara avis
Latin: rare bird
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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