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Webster 1913 Edition


Orchidaceous

Orˊchi-da′ceous

,
Adj.
(Bot.)
Pertaining to, or resembling, a natural order (
Orchidaceae
) of endogenous plants of which the genus
Orchis
is the type. They are mostly perennial herbs having the stamens and pistils united in a single column, and normally three petals and three sepals, all adherent to the ovary. The flowers are curiously shaped, often resembling insects, the odd or lower petal (called the lip) being unlike the others, and sometimes of a strange and unexpected appearance. About one hundred species occur in the United States, but several thousand in the tropics.
☞ Over three hundred genera are recognized.

Definition 2024


orchidaceous

orchidaceous

English

Adjective

orchidaceous (comparative more orchidaceous, superlative most orchidaceous)

  1. (botany) Of or pertaining to orchids.
    In keeping with the orchidaceous theme of the wedding, the decorator draped the walls with lavenders and pinks.
  2. Characterized by ostentatiousness; showy.
    The fashion press regarded her red carpet attire with derision, calling it orchidaceous and overly designed.

Translations