Meanings
virga1
nounvirga (countable and uncountable, plural virgas or virgae)
- countableclimatologyA streak of rain or snow that is dissipated in falling and does not reach the ground, commonly appearing descending from a cloud layer.
Strong gusts of wind buffeted the train, and ghostly virga of ice followed it through the night.
2003, Erik Larson, “Pilgrimage”, in The Devil in the White City, Vintage Books, page 78 - countablemeasurementA unit of length: a rod, pole or perch (5½ yards); or a unit of area: a square rod, pole or perch.
Virga2
proper nounVirga (plural Virgas)
plural Virgas
- A female given name from Italian.
- A surname from Italian.
Synonyms & antonyms
Similar
Also see
Origin
virga · noun
- Latinvirga“rod”
- Englishvirga
Borrowed from Latin virga (“rod”). Doublet of verge.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Virga · proper noun
- ItalianVirga
- EnglishVirga
Borrowed from Italian Virga.
More words from Italian
Full word history & related roots →Translations
German Sturzsträhne
- Sturzsträhnestreak of rain or snow
Hebrew גֶּשֶׁם תָּלוּי, וִירְגָּה
- גֶּשֶׁם תָּלוּי (geshem talui)streak of rain or snow
- וִירְגָּה (virga)streak of rain or snow
Japanese 尾流雲
- 尾流雲 (biryūun)streak of rain or snow
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
virga. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/virga
MLA
“virga.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/virga. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “virga,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/virga.
Source: virga on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.