rara avis

Meaning

1. A rare species or type of bird.
2. (figuratively) A rare or unique, and thus outstanding or unusual, person or thing; a rare bird.

Synonyms

rare bird

rarity

Translations

oiseau rare

fenice

rara avis

vreemde eend

vreemde vogel

weißer Rabe

pájaro raro

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˌɹɑːɹə ˈeɪvɪs/

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 B.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.