oncidium

American  

[on-sid-ee-uhm] / ɒnˈsɪd i əm /

noun

1. any of numerous tropical American orchids of the genus Oncidium, having clusters of flowers showing great variety in size, form, and color.

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Etymology

Origin of oncidium

< New Latin (1800), equivalent to Greek onk ( o ) - (combining form of ónkos barb of an arrow) + New Latin -idium -idium; so called from the crests on the labellum

Example Sentences

Among the most beautiful is the oncidium, of a yellow hue, often seen—apparently suspended in air between the stems of two trees—shining in the gloom, as if its petals were of gold.

From The Western World Picturesque Sketches of Nature and Natural History in North and South America by Kingston, William Henry Giles