any terrestrial or epiphytic plant of the family Orchidaceae, of temperate and tropical regions, having usually showy flowers.
the flower of any of these plants.
a bluish to reddish purple.
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.
1835–45; < New Latin Orchideae (later Orchidaceae ) family name, equivalent to Latin orch ( is ) a plant ( see orchis) + -ideae, irregular suffix ( cf. -idae); see -id 2
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Some may be tiny, like the orchid babies nursing on wood-eating fungi; others may be gargantuan, like the Posidonia australis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
I love every orchid equally,’ and he does,” his daughter said in 2023.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2026
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
“I probably should’ve known you’d think that. We’d been talking about the orchid just a few days before.”
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
Sometimes an incense is used worth even more than $30.00 per envelope: this contains ranjatai, an aromatic of which the perfume is compared to that of "musk mingled with orchid- flowers."
From In Ghostly Japan by Hearn, Lafcadio
For readers enjoying their potted orchids at home, Mr. Haskell has a sobering message.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
He, fellow staff and scores of volunteers were shuffling between tasks like firing up stoves and spreading protective covers on a collection of smaller plants, like orchids.
From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026
“Paul lectured all over the world, teaching people about different species of orchids in a very accessible way,” Rose said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2026
Since she hired staff to deal with it, areas that were barren ground have begun bursting with oxlips and early purple orchids.
From BBC ● Dec. 25, 2025
She had these orchids on, like she'd just been to a big party or something.
From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger
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.
