lady's-slipper
Americannoun
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any orchid of the genus Cypripedium, the flowers of which have a protruding petal somewhat resembling a slipper: all species are reduced in numbers, some greatly.
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any of several other related plants having similar flowers, as of the genera Paphiopedilum and Phragmipedium.
noun
Etymology
Origin of lady's-slipper
An Americanism dating back to 1830–40
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I was to have neither arbor nor trellis,—no sweet-scented honeysuckle clustering over an elaborate framework,—no parterre of beautiful flowers, glorious to behold, but producing no profit,—not even marigold or lady's-slipper.
From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 16, No. 93, July, 1865 by Various
In shady places the ferns were unfolding in company with Solomon's-seal, wake-robin, the lady's-slipper, and the painted trillium.
From The Side Of The Angels A Novel by King, Basil
The spring-beauty, the painted trillium, the fringed polygala, the showy lady's-slipper, are all more striking to look upon, but they do not quite touch the heart; they lack the soul that perfume suggests.
From The Wit of a Duck and Other Papers by Burroughs, John
Later in the season yellow is frequently accompanied with fragrance, as in the evening primrose, the yellow lady's-slipper, horned bladderwort, and others.
From A Year in the Fields by Burroughs, John
Like the ivy, the yellow lady's-slipper does not poison every one.
From On the Trail An Outdoor Book for Girls by Beard, Lina
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
