cymbidium

cym·bid·i·um

 (sĭm-bĭd′ē-əm)

n.

Any of various epiphytic orchids of the genus Cymbidium, native to Asia and Australia and extensively hybridized and cultivated for their elongate clusters of showy flowers.

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[New Latin Cymbidium, genus name : from Greek kumbē, hollow vessel, drinking cup, boat (probably akin to Sanskrit kumbhaḥ and Avestan xumba-, pot) + New Latin -idium, diminutive suffix (from Greek -idion), (the genus being named by Swedish botanist Olof Peter Swartz (1760-1818) in reference to the somewhat boatlike shape of the labellum of the type species, C. aloifolium).]

cymbidium

(sɪmˈbɪdɪəm)

n, pl -diums

(Plants) a genus, Cymbidium, of subtropical and tropical orchids native to Australia and Asia, having boat-shaped showy flowers

[C19: from Latin cymba boat, from Greek kumbēsomething hollow]

cym•bid•i•um

(sɪmˈbɪd i əm)

n.

any of various orchids of the genus Cymbidium, native to Asia and Australia, having long clusters of showy flowers.

[< New Latin (1799) < Greek kýmb(ē) hollow object + -idion -idium]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

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 cymbid orchid, orchidaceous plant - any of numerous plants of the orchid family usually having flowers of unusual shapes and beautiful colors genus Cymbidium - genus of tropical epiphytic or terrestrial Old World orchids; one of the most popular orchid genera