orchid
noun
any terrestrial or epiphytic plant of the family Orchidaceae, of temperate and tropical regions, having usually showy flowers.
orchid
1 American
[awr-kid]
/ ˈɔr kɪd /
noun
-
orchids
plural
-
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.
orchid-
2
American
orchid
British
/ ˈɔːkɪd /
noun
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.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of orchid
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
Vocabulary lists containing orchid
Non-Color Words to Use When Describing Color
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Purple
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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.
See Examples For:
Since a store-bought orchid can take around two years to grow, Chen said he’s wracked by tariff uncertainty.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
The number and variety of plants increased over time, including locally rare species such as southern marsh orchid, greater tussock-sedge, yellow rattle and common centaury.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
“This is so tragic,” one person commented on the gallery’s post, noting that Summers had recently bid on an orchid print they were preparing for her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
It can take a decade of hard work to bring a new orchid to market.
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
He picked up an orchid, put it back, and chose another that was in fuller bloom.
From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt
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 Lafcadio Hearn
Zachary Weiss, a writer in New York, likes to send orchids to his hosts well after landing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
As the meadow developed, thousands of orchids became established naturally.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
The site was home to scarce plants including pyramidal and bee orchids, and a rare colony of marbled white butterflies that had relied on common knapweed and red fescue.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 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
There was little enough to play with in the citadel, and the orchids were past hope.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
