tway·blade

(twā′blād′)

Any of various small terrestrial orchids of the genera Liparis and Listera, having usually two basal leaves and a terminal cluster of greenish or purplish flowers.

[Obsolete tway, two (short for Middle English twaine; see twain) + blade (translation of Medieval Latin bifolium, two-leaf).]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

twayblade

(ˈtweɪˌbleɪd)

1. (Plants) any terrestrial orchid of the genus Listera, having a basal pair of oval unstalked leaves arranged opposite each other

2. (Plants) any of various other orchids with paired basal leaves

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

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

tway•blade

(ˈtweɪˌbleɪd)

n.

any of various terrestrial orchids, esp. of the genera Listera and Liparis, having two nearly opposite broad leaves.

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

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	twayblade - orchid having a pair of ovate leaves and a long slender raceme of green flowers sometimes tinged red-brown; Europe to central Asia Listera ovata orchid, orchidaceous plant - any of numerous plants of the orchid family usually having flowers of unusual shapes and beautiful colors genus Listera, Listera - genus of terrestrial orchids having usually a single pair of broad shining leaves near the middle of the stem; found in temperate Asia and North America and Europe
	2.	twayblade - an orchid of the genus Liparis having a pair of leaves orchid, orchidaceous plant - any of numerous plants of the orchid family usually having flowers of unusual shapes and beautiful colors genus Liparis - genus of terrestrial and epiphytic orchids; pantropical to temperate

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

What is a twayblade? A A butterfly B An orchid C Arose D A spider 6.

General Knowledge Quiz

LLUNIAU PAUL WILLIAMS | Caineirian bach Rhinog Fawr - Listera cordata - Lesser Twayblade. Mae'r caineirian bach yn un o'r planhigion prin sy'n tyfu yng Ngwarchodfa'r Rhinog; dde: Drws Ardudwy a'r grug yn ei flodau

Gwarchodfa'r Rhinog a'i myrdd ryfeddodau

This patch of grassland on the edge of Wolverhampton, where there used to be a coal mine and after that a landfill site, has now been transformed into a beautiful wildflower meadow featuring some really notable species, such as common twayblade, and commonspotted and green-winged orchids.

Five star meadow walks

ex Ker Gawl.; Purple Twayblade, Brown Widelip Orchid; Dry hilltop woods near river; Rare; C = 3; BSUH 16725.

Additions to the flora of Mounds State Park and Preserve, Madison County, Indiana

The wet weather has also been good for mosses and plants such as early gentian and bee orchids, and twayblade, pyramidal and common spotted orchids have been thriving on the trackways of Whipsnade Downs in Bedfordshire.

Summer apocalypse; Cool, wet conditions have hit many species hard this summer. Emily Beament reports on the bleak outlook for much of our cherished wildlife

Mae'r caineirian yn tyfu reit wrth ymyl y llwybr pren - Neotia ovata ydi'r enw gwyddonol arno fo a 'common twayblade' yn Saesneg - a chain ydi o hefyd.

Pleser edrych ar blanhigion prin; BYD NATUR