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Definition of bird-of-paradise
(Entry 1 of 2)
: an ornamental plant (Strelitzia reginae of the family Strelitziaceae) native to southern Africa that has scapes terminating in a horizontal bract from which emerges an upright flower having three orange or yellow sepals and three irregular blue petals
bird of paradise
noun phraseDefinition of bird of paradise (Entry 2 of 2)
: any of numerous brilliantly colored plumed oscine birds (family Paradisaeidae) chiefly of New Guinea and neighboring islands
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The first known use of bird-of-paradise was in 1595
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