riflebird
riflebird · riflebirds
Any of four species of birds of paradise in the genus PtilorisAny of four species of birds of paradise in the genus Ptiloris.
Meaning
1 sensesAny of four species of birds of paradise in the genus Ptiloris.
More definitions
- velvety black Australian bird of paradise with green and purple iridescence on head and tail
Origin
From rifle + bird, from the resemblance of their black and green plumage to the uniform ofFrom rifle + bird, from the resemblance of their black and green plumage to the uniform of early nineteenth-century British army riflemen.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Dictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.