Orchid
/ˈɔːrkɪd/noun
A flowering plant in the orchid family, known for its often showy and specialized blooms.
Did you know?The word was coined from Greek orchis, because some orchid species have paired underground tubers that resemble testicles, and that anatomical resemblance shaped the plant’s name for over two millennia.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
GR
órkhis (ὄρχις)
“testicle; also a name applied to certain plants with paired tubers”
Late Latin
LL
orchis
“orchid plant”
16th Century
English
orchis
“a kind of orchid”
18th Century
English
orchid
“the modern plant name, influenced by botanical Latin”
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