orchid

noun

or·​chid ˈȯr-kəd 

1

: any of a large family (Orchidaceae, the orchid family) of perennial epiphytic or terrestrial monocotyledonous plants that usually have showy 3-petaled flowers with the middle petal enlarged into a lip and differing from the others in shape and color

2

: a light purple

orchidlike

ˈȯr-kəd-ˌlīk 

adjective

Illustration of orchid

• orchid 1

Examples of orchid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Garden Fair: The Sweetwater Oaks Garden Club’s Garden Fair will feature vendors selling plants, shrubs, roses, orchids, birdhouses, decorative garden and yard art. —Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2025

If your orchid came from the store potted in sphagnum moss, Kondrat recommends repotting it in a chunky potting mix labeled for orchids as soon as it is done blooming. —Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Jan. 2025

Sure enough, two decades later scientists identified an African hawkmoth that pollinated the orchid. —Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 31 Dec. 2024

Like orchids, which are sensitive and struggle to adapt to changing environments, orchid children share similar traits. —Lauryn Higgins, Parents, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin orchid-, the base of the taxa names Orchideae and Orchidaceae — more at orchidaceous

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing orchid

• vanda orchid

Kids Definition

orchid

noun

or·​chid ˈȯr-kəd 

1

: any plant or flower of a large family of plants that have usually showy flowers with three petals of which the middle petal is enlarged and differs from the others in shape and color

2

: a light purple