Definition

Noun: 1. A type of orchid: A rare orchid plant found in northern temperate bogs. It is characterized by having a single basal leaf and producing one distinctive flower per stalk. The flower is typically white to pink in color with a purple mark at its tip, and it grows on an erect reddish stalk.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The botanist was thrilled to discover a fairy-slipper deep in the peat bog.
  • Conservation efforts are important to protect the habitat of the rare fairy-slipper.
  • The fairy-slipper's unique pink and purple flower is a delicate sight in the spring.

Advanced Usage

• As a subject of study: The term is used in botanical, ecological, and conservation contexts.
  • The paper documented the mycorrhizal associations crucial for the fairy-slipper's germination.

Variants and Related Words

• Calypso bulbosa (n): The scientific (Latin) name for the fairy-slipper orchid.
• Calypso orchid (n): Another common name for the same plant.
• Venus's slipper (n): A less common synonym.

Synonyms

• Calypso orchid
• Venus's slipper

Notes on Meaning

This word refers specifically to a single, distinct species of orchid (Calypso bulbosa). It is a compound noun where "fairy-slipper" functions as a single unit to name the plant, evoking the delicate, slipper-like shape of its flower.

Noun

1. rare north temperate bog orchid bearing a solitary white to pink flower marked with purple at the tip of an erect reddish stalk above 1 basal leaf