orchid

noun

or·​chid ˈȯr-kəd How to pronounce orchid (audio)
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 adjective

Illustration of orchid

Illustration of orchid
  • orchid 1

Examples of orchid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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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 See All Example Sentences for orchid

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of orchid was in 1845

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Orchid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orchid. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

orchid

noun
or·​chid ˈȯr-kəd How to pronounce orchid (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on orchid

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