name, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A type of note used in plainsong notation, having a tail and representing a single tone. countable, uncountable
2. 2
   light wispy precipitation that evaporates before it reaches the ground (especially when the lower air is low in humidity) wordnet
3. 3
   A streak of rain or snow that is dissipated in falling and does not reach the ground, commonly appearing descending from a cloud layer. countable

   "Strong gusts of wind buffeted the train, and ghostly virga of ice followed it through the night."

4. 4
   A unit of length: a rod, pole or perch (5½ yards); or a unit of area: a square rod, pole or perch. countable

Proper Noun

1. 1
   A female given name from Italian.
2. 2
   A surname from Italian.

Synonyms

All synonyms

virgulavirgula

Example

More examples

"Strong gusts of wind buffeted the train, and ghostly virga of ice followed it through the night."

Etymology

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin virga (“rod”). Doublet of verge.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Italian Virga.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.