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2 definitions found
for orchis
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :
Orchis \Or"chis\, prop. n.; pl. Orchises. [L., fr. Gr. ? a
testicle, the orchis; -- so called from its tubers.]
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Bot.) Any plant of the same family with the orchis; an
orchid.
[1913 Webster]
Note: The common names, such as bee orchis, fly orchis,
butterfly orchis, etc., allude to the peculiar form
of the flower.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) :
orchis
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]
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