Adjacent Words

Orchis definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

OR'CHIS, n. [L. orchis; Gr.] A genus of plants, called fool-stones.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: any of various deciduous terrestrial orchids having fleshy tubers and flowers in erect terminal racemes
2: one of the two male reproductive glands that produce spermatozoa and secrete androgens; "she kicked him in the balls and got away" [syn: testis, testicle, orchis, ball, ballock, bollock, nut, egg]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: New Latin, from Latin, orchid, from Greek, testicle, orchid; akin to Middle Irish uirgge testicle Date: 1562 orchid; especially any of a genus (Orchis) of orchids with fleshy roots and a spurred lip

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 any orchid of the genus Orchis, with a tuberous root and an erect fleshy stem having a spike of usu. purple or red flowers. 2 any of various wild orchids. Etymology: L f. Gk orkhis, orig. = testicle (with ref. to the shape of its tuber)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lip Lip (l[i^]p), n. [OE. lippe, AS. lippa; akin to D. lip, G. lippe, lefze, OHG. lefs, Dan. l[ae]be, Sw. l["a]pp, L. labium, labrum. Cf. Labial.] 1. One of the two fleshy folds which surround the orifice of the mouth in man and many other animals. In man the lips are organs of speech essential to certain articulations. Hence, by a figure they denote the mouth, or all the organs of speech, and sometimes speech itself. Thine own lips testify against thee. --Job xv. 6. 2. An edge of an opening; a thin projecting part of anything; a kind of short open spout; as, the lip of a vessel. 3. The sharp cutting edge on the end of an auger. 4. (Bot.) (a) One of the two opposite divisions of a labiate corolla. (b) The odd and peculiar petal in the Orchis family. See Orchidaceous. 5. (Zo["o]l.) One of the edges of the aperture of a univalve shell. Lip bit, a pod auger. See Auger. Lip comfort, comfort that is given with words only. Lip comforter, one who comforts with words only. Lip labor, unfelt or insincere speech; hypocrisy. --Bale. Lip reading, the catching of the words or meaning of one speaking by watching the motion of his lips without hearing his voice. --Carpenter. Lip salve, a salve for sore lips. Lip service, expression by the lips of obedience and devotion without the performance of acts suitable to such sentiments. Lip wisdom, wise talk without practice, or unsupported by experience. Lip work. (a) Talk. (b) Kissing. [Humorous] --B. Jonson. To make a lip, to drop the under lip in sullenness or contempt. --Shak. To shoot out the lip (Script.), to show contempt by protruding the lip.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Orchis Or"chis, n.; pl. Orchises. [L., fr. Gr. ? a testicle, the orchis; -- so called from its tubers.] 1. (Bot.) A genus of endogenous plants growing in the North Temperate zone, and consisting of about eighty species. They are perennial herbs growing from a tuber (beside which is usually found the last year's tuber also), and are valued for their showy flowers. See Orchidaceous. 2. (Bot.) Any plant of the same family with the orchis; an orchid. Note: The common names, such as bee orchis, fly orchis, butterfly orchis, etc., allude to the peculiar form of the flower.