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

To anyone as bookish as Lang, orchids may have summoned a whiff of Proust and Wilde. —Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025

Lego Botanicals Mini Orchid Building Set For a cozy night in, put together this Lego orchid building set. —Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025

Browse through the hundreds of orchid varieties in their greenhouse or schedule a consultation for a custom arrangement with designer Irene Cherchuck. —Brennan Long, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025

The book recounts that, working with a botanist named Marcel Lecoufle, Madame Carven created a white orchid that had a green centre. —Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 1 Oct. 2025

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