bird of paradise: Meaning and Definition of

bird' of par'adise

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. 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-par•a•dise

Pronunciation: (bûrd'uv-par'u-dīs", -dīz"), [key]
— pl. birds-of-paradise.
  1. Also calledany of several plants of the genus Strelitzia, native to southern Africa, esp. 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.

Bird' of Par'adise

Pronunciation: [key]
— Astron. Astron.
  1. the constellation Apus.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.