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orchid
1[ awr-kid ]
noun
- any terrestrial or epiphytic plant of the family Orchidaceae, of temperate and tropical regions, having usually showy flowers. Compare orchid family.
- the flower of any of these plants.
- a bluish to reddish purple.
orchid-
2- variant of orchido- before a vowel:
orchidology.
orchid
/ ˈɔːkɪd /
noun
- 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
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Word History and Origins
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Word History and Origins
Origin of orchid1
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Example Sentences
"I found it completely riveting," said Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief.
In the dusty corridors of power, Disraeli was an exotic orchid whose drag enlivened many a boring wet Monday.
In the center of the room, a circular glass table displayed a single white orchid.
She had been raised as a debutante, a beautiful, delicate orchid from Vancouver, Canada.
On my kitchen windowsill (yes, I have a windowed kitchen, my first ever), are four orchid plants.
The boys light Roman candles, shooting crimson and orchid and brass-flamed astonishers into the clouds.
The Iris is to the garden what the Orchid is to the greenhouse.
The Orchid family is certainly the most curious in the vegetable kingdom, as it is almost the most extensive, except the Grasses.
This was not a sea-weed, but a lichen—probably the same from which the orchid purple of modern art is prepared.
A beautiful pink and white ground orchid (Calanthe) was plentiful.
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Related Words
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Words That Use Orchid-
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.
Examples of orchid-
One example of a medical term that uses the combining form orchid- is orchiditis, also known as orchitis, meaning “inflammation of the testis.”
The first part of the word, orchid-, means “testicle.” The second part, -itis, is a suffix used to denote inflammation of an organ. Orchiditis literally translates to “inflammation of the testicles.”
What are some words that use or are related to the combining form orchid-?
- orchidic
- orchidaceous (using the equivalent form of orchid- in New Latin)
- orchidectomy
- orchidacity
- orchidist
- orchidize
What are some other forms that orchid- may be commonly confused with?
The word orchestra, despite beginning with the letters orch-, is not related to the combining form orchido-. Learn more about the Greek origins of this musical term at our entry for the word.
Break it down!
The combining form -ectomy is used in medical terms to mean “excision, removal.” What does the surgical procedure of an orchidectomy involve?
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