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Synonyms

orchid

1 American  
[awr-kid] / ˈɔr kɪd /

noun

  1. any terrestrial or epiphytic plant of the family Orchidaceae, of temperate and tropical regions, having usually showy flowers.

  2. the flower of any of these plants.

  3. a bluish to reddish purple.

orchid- 2 American  

  1. variant of orchido- before a vowel.

    orchidology.
orchid British  
/ ˈɔːkɪd /

noun

  1. any terrestrial or epiphytic plant of the family Orchidaceae, often having flowers of unusual shapes and beautiful colours, specialized for pollination by certain insects See bee orchid burnt-tip orchid fly orchid frog orchid lady orchid lizard orchid man orchid monkey orchid purple-fringed orchid pyramidal orchid scented orchid spider orchid spotted orchid

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does orchid- mean? Orchid- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning either “testicle” (testis) or "orchid." In medicine, it refers to testicles. In botany, it refers to orchid flowers.Orchid- comes from the Greek órchis, meaning “testicle.” How did the Greek word for testicle give rise to the name of a type of beautiful flower? Well, the roots of orchids were thought to resemble testicles. Learn more at our entry for orchis.Orchid- is a variant of orchido-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels.Want to know more? Read our Words That Use orchido- article.The combining forms orchi-, as in orchiectomy, and orchio-, as in orchioplasty, are other variants of this combining form used to refer to testicles in medical terms.

Etymology

Origin of orchid

1835–45; < New Latin Orchideae (later Orchidaceae ) family name, equivalent to Latin orch ( is ) a plant ( orchis ) + -ideae, irregular suffix ( -idae ); -id 2

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.

A rare wild orchid has been brought back from the brink of extinction by the work of dedicated conservationists.

From BBC • Nov. 9, 2025

Koja is concerned about the loss of unique indigenous trees like the giant orchid, already a problem before mining has even started.

From Barron's • Oct. 26, 2025

Being experts in orchid ecology and evolution, Suetsugu's team took on the challenge to find out who feeds the young orchids.

From Science Daily • Oct. 8, 2025

Its velvety, heart-shaped leaves shield a single burnt-mauve flower at the base, looking more like an orchid from the Florida swamps than something you’d expect to see near the river between Iowa and Illinois.

From Salon • May 27, 2025

It wasn't quite an orchid, and not a rose, either, but something utterly unique.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

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.