paradise : Idioms & Phrases

• noun a tropical flowering shrub having bright orange or red flowers; sometimes placed in genus Poinciana
  Poinciana gilliesii; poinciana; Caesalpinia gilliesii.
  
• noun ornamental plant of tropical South Africa and South America having stalks of orange and purplish-blue flowers resembling a bird
  Strelitzia reginae.
  
• noun any of numerous brilliantly colored plumed birds of the New Guinea area
  

WordNet

Bird" of par"a*dise

Definitions

1. (Zoöl.) The name of several very beautiful birds of the genus Paradisea and allied genera, inhabiting New Guinea and the adjacent islands. The males have brilliant colors, elegant plumes, and often remarkable tail feathers. ✍ The Great emerald (Paradisea apoda) and the Lesser emerald (P. minor) furnish many of the plumes used as ornaments by ladies; the Red is P. rubra or sanguinea; the Golden is Parotia aurea or sexsetacea; the King is Cincinnurus regius. The name is also applied to the longer-billed birds of another related group (Epimachinæ) from the same region. The Twelve-wired (Seleucides alba) is one of these. See Paradise bird, and Note under Apod.

Webster 1913

• noun an illusory state of wellbeing
  

WordNet

• a name applied to a limbo (see under Limbo) popularly believed to be the region of vanity and nonsense. Hence, any foolish pleasure or condition of vain self-satistaction.

Webster 1913

• noun West African plant bearing pungent peppery seeds
  melagueta pepper; Guinea pepper; Aframomum melegueta; Guinea grains.
  

WordNet

• the seeds of a species of amomum.
• . (Bot.) See Melequeta pepper, under Pepper.

Webster 1913

• . (Zoöl.), See Bird of paradise.

Webster 1913

• . (Zoöl.) Same as Bird of paradise. Among the most beautiful species are the superb (Lophorina superba); the magnificent (Diphyllodes magnifica); and the six-shafted paradise bird (Parotia sefilata). The long-billed paradise birds (Epimachinæ) also include some highly ornamental species, as the twelve-wired paradise bird (Seleucides alba), which is black, yellow, and white, with six long breast feathers on each side, ending in long, slender filaments. See Bird of paradise in the Vocabulary.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), a beautiful fresh-water Asiatic fish (Macropodus viridiauratus) having very large fins. It is often kept alive as an ornamental fish.

Webster 1913

• noun tropical shrub or small tree having showy yellow to orange-red flowers; sometimes placed in genus Poinciana
  Poinciana pulcherrima; flamboyant tree; Caesalpinia pulcherrima; pride of barbados.
  

WordNet

• (Zoöl.), any flycatcher of the genus Terpsiphone, having the middle tail feathers extremely elongated. The adult male of T. paradisi is white, with the head glossy dark green, and crested.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), a very beautiful bird of New Guinea, of the genus Astrapia, having dark velvety plumage with brilliant metallic tints.

Webster 1913

• (Bot.), the sapucaia nut. See Sapucaia nut. Local, U. S.

Webster 1913

• noun medium to large tree of tropical North and South America having odd-pinnate leaves and long panicles of small pale yellow flowers followed by scarlet fruits
  Simarouba glauca; bitterwood.
  

WordNet

• (Zoöl.) See Whidah.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), a bird of paradise (Paradisæa, ∨ Lophorina, superba) having the scapulars erectile, and forming a large ornamental tuft on each shoulder, and a large gorget of brilliant feathers on the breast. The color is deep violet, or nearly black, with brilliant green reflections. The gorget is bright metallic green.

Webster 1913