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''orchid'' ▫ᴱᴺ｜Definition｜1st｜20260125123911-00-⌔

orchid - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Noun

orchid (plural orchids)

  • A plant of the orchid family (Orchidaceae), bearing unusually-shaped flowers of beautiful colours. [mid-19th c.]
  • A light bluish - red, violet -red or purple colour.
    • ✤ orchid:

Adjective

orchid (not comparable)

  • Having a light purple colour.

Etymology

From New Latin Orchideae, Orchidaceae, an irregular formation from Latin orchis, from Ancient Greek ὄρχις (órkhis, “orchid, testicle”) (ostensibly from the shape of the roots1). Supplanted Middle English ballokwort (literally “testicle plant”).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA: /ˈɔː.kɪd/
  • Audio (Southern England): 🔊
  • (US) IPA: /ˈɔɹ.kɪd/
  • Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)kɪd

Printed 2026-06-28.

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Footnotes

  1. “ὄρχις”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press ↩

Link to original

Secondary

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