rara avis
Meanings
noun
- A rare species or type of bird.
- A rare or unique, and thus outstanding or unusual, person or thing; a rare bird.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from Latin rāra avis (“rare bird”). The synonym rare bird is attested earlier. The term is a quotation from Satire VI (written late 1st century – early 2nd century C.E.) of the Roman poet Juvenal: “Rara avis in terris, nigroque simillima cygno [a bird as rare upon the earth as a black swan]!”. The plural form rarae aves is a learned borrowing from Latin rārae avēs.
Synonyms
Related words
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