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

---

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

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

From BBC

The intense humidity wilted the $20 breakfast receipt in my pocket, but the orchids and plumeria around me were thriving.

From The Wall Street Journal

We counted more than 100 bee orchids — which to a bee lover like me, was the climax of years of work.

From BBC

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

“I didn’t know that orchids grew in Florida or that they grew in the wild at all,” she confesses.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• admiration
• adulation
• applause
• blessing
• commendation
• courtesy
• endorsement
• homage
• ovation
• tribute