orchis

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: or=chis

CIDE DICTIONARY

orchis, prop. n. [L., fr. Gr. a testicle, the orchis; -- so called from its tubers.].

•  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.  [1913 Webster]
•  Any plant of the same family with the orchis; an orchid.  [1913 Webster]

  " The common names, such as bee orchis, fly orchis, butterfly orchis, etc., allude to the peculiar form of the flower."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

orchis, 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)