Dictionary.com

twayblade

[ twey-bleyd ]
/ ˈtweɪˌbleɪd /

noun

any of various orchids, especially of the genera Listera and Liparis, characterized by two nearly opposite broad leaves.

QUIZZES

THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?

Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.
Question 1 of 8
Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?
The Sunflower State
The Evergreen State
The Magnolia State
The Mockingbird State
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of twayblade

1570–80; dial. tway (apocopated form of Old English twēgentwain) + blade

Words nearby twayblade

twangy, 'twas, twat, twattle, T wave, twayblade, tweak, tweaker, twee, tweed, Tweeddale
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for twayblade

twayblade
/ (ˈtweɪˌbleɪd) /

noun

any terrestrial orchid of the genus Listera, having a basal pair of oval unstalked leaves arranged opposite each other
any of various other orchids with paired basal leaves

Word Origin for twayblade

C16: translation of Medieval Latin bifolium having two leaves, from obsolete tway two + blade
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