orchis
/'ɔ:kis/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A type of terrestrial orchid: "orchis" refers to any of various perennial herbaceous plants belonging to the orchid family (Orchidaceae), typically having a pair of underground tubers and a spike of flowers.
- (Archaic/Anatomy) A testicle: In older or specialized biological contexts, "orchis" can refer to a male reproductive gland. This usage is derived from Greek and is now largely obsolete in common language, replaced by terms like "testicle."
Examples of Usage
- Noun (Botany):
- The wild orchis bloomed in the meadow every spring.
- We found a rare species of orchis during our hike.
- Noun (Anatomy - Archaic):
- The ancient text described an injury to the orchis. (This usage is rare in modern English.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is primarily used in botanical contexts. The anatomical meaning is highly technical or historical and is not used in everyday conversation.
Variants and Related Words
- Orchid (n): The more common and general term for plants in the Orchidaceae family. "Orchis" is often used specifically for certain terrestrial genera.
- Orchidaceous (adj): Relating to or characteristic of orchids.
- Orchidology (n): The study of orchids.
Synonyms
- Terrestrial orchid: A descriptive synonym highlighting its growth habit.
- (For the anatomical sense) Testicle, gonad: These are the modern synonyms.
Related Phrases
- No common phrasal verbs or idioms are directly associated with the word "orchis."
Related Idioms
- There are no common idioms featuring the word "orchis."
Noun
- one of the two male reproductive glands that produce spermatozoa and secrete androgens
- she kicked him in the balls and got away
- any of various deciduous terrestrial orchids having fleshy tubers and flowers in erect terminal racemes