twayblade

American

[twey-bleyd] / ˈtweɪˌbleɪd /

noun

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

twayblade British

/ 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

"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

Etymology

Origin of twayblade

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

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.

“Oh, that’s a twayblade,” I replied, “one of the orchis family.”

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023