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

Allow your orchid to dry out between waterings. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 Oct. 2025

Find out how to prune all types of orchids to have healthier and fuller-blooming flowers. —Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025

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

Surfing, taxidermy, orchids and Rin Tin Tin are just a few of the many topics that have captivated acclaimed nonfiction writer Orlean — and her readers — over the years. —Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 12 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