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or·chid (ôr k d)n.1. a. A member of the orchid family. b. The flower of any of these plants, especially one cultivated for ornament. 2. A pale to light purple, from grayish to purplish pink to strong reddish purple.
[From New Latin Orchideae, family name, from Latin orchis, a kind of orchid, from Greek orkhis, testicle, orchid (from the shape of its tubers).]
or chid adj. |
orchid [ˈɔːkɪd]n (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) 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[from New Latin Orchideae; see orchis]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. | orchid - any of numerous plants of the orchid family usually having flowers of unusual shapes and beautiful colorsmentum - a projection below the mouth of certain mollusks that resembles a chin flower - a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms mentum - a projection like a chin formed by the sepals and base of the column in some orchids orchis - any of various deciduous terrestrial orchids having fleshy tubers and flowers in erect terminal racemes aerides - any orchid of the genus Aerides angrecum - any of various spectacular orchids of the genus Angraecum having dark green leathery leaves and usually nocturnally scented white or ivory flowers jewel orchid - any of several delicate Asiatic orchids grown especially for their velvety leaves with metallic white or gold veining arethusa - any of several bog orchids of the genus Arethusa having 1 or 2 showy flowers bletia - any of various orchids of the genus Bletia having pseudobulbs and erect leafless racemes of large purple or pink flowers Bletia striata, Bletilla striata - Japanese orchid with white-striped leaves and slender erect racemes of rose to magenta flowers; often cultivated; sometimes placed in genus Bletia brassavola - any of various tropical American orchids with usually solitary fleshy leaves and showy white to green nocturnally fragrant blossoms solitary or in racemes of up to 7 caladenia - any of various orchids of the genus Caladenia calanthe - any of various showy orchids of the genus Calanthe having white or yellow or rose-colored flowers and broad leaves folded lengthwise calypso, Calypso bulbosa, fairy-slipper - rare north temperate bog orchid bearing a solitary white to pink flower marked with purple at the tip of an erect reddish stalk above 1 basal leaf Catasetum macrocarpum, jumping orchid - orchid having both male and female flowers in the same raceme; when a sensitive projection at the base of the column of the male flower is touched the pollen is suddenly ejected cattleya - any orchid of the genus Cattleya characterized by a three-lobed lip enclosing the column; among the most popular and most extravagantly beautiful orchids known helleborine - any of several orchids of the genus Cephalanthera coelogyne - any of various orchids of the genus Coelogyne with: clusters of fragrant lacy snow-white flowers; salmon-pink solitary flowers; chainlike racemes of topaz and chocolate brown flowers; spikes of delicate white spice-scented flowers; emerald green flowers marked with blue-black coral root - a wildflower of the genus Corallorhiza growing from a hard mass of rhizomes associated with a fungus that aids in absorbing nutrients from the forest floor helmet orchid, helmetflower - any of several orchids of the genus Coryanthes having racemes of a few musky-scented waxy flowers with a helmet-shaped lip process cymbid, cymbidium - any of various plants of the genus Cymbidium having narrow leaves and a long drooping cluster of numerous showy and variously colored boat-shaped flowers; extensively hybridized and cultivated as houseplants and important florists' flowers |
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