Illustration of orchid
- orchid 1
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
Examples of orchid in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The fruity-floral features notes of passion fruit, peony, and vanilla orchid.
—
Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 14 June 2026
Staff members draped us with orchid leis and invited us to stroll the lawn, where instructors taught us how to play the traditional bowling game ulu maika, and artisans offered wood carvings and flower adornments.
—Julie Orringer, Travel + Leisure, 9 June 2026
In contrast, a smaller group of children were more like orchids—sensitive and innately reactive to their circumstances.
—Parents, 7 June 2026
When evaluating the success of individual plant families, the dicot daisy family (Asteraceae) is number one with 32,000 species, while the monocot orchid family (Orchidaceae) is number two with 28,000 species.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 4 June 2026
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Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 14 June 2026
Staff members draped us with orchid leis and invited us to stroll the lawn, where instructors taught us how to play the traditional bowling game ulu maika, and artisans offered wood carvings and flower adornments.
—Julie Orringer, Travel + Leisure, 9 June 2026
In contrast, a smaller group of children were more like orchids—sensitive and innately reactive to their circumstances.
—Parents, 7 June 2026
When evaluating the success of individual plant families, the dicot daisy family (Asteraceae) is number one with 32,000 species, while the monocot orchid family (Orchidaceae) is number two with 28,000 species.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for orchid
Cite this Entry
“Orchid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orchid. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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