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Glite Dictionary
Aerides

Aerides

1 9.9
A group of tropical orchids with sweet, showy flowers
  • noun
  • /ˈɛrɪdiːz/
  • Specialized
: aerides
  • In my garden, the Aerides plant blooms with beautiful, fragrant flowers every spring.

Examples

  • The week following our honeymoon, I left for China to study the Aerides odoratum and the Arundina, two particularly luscious specimens of orchids.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • She prides herself on her collection of Aerides and other exotic orchids.

  • The rare Aerides orchids attracted many visitors to the flower show.

Surface Forms

Aerides singular
Aerideses plural

Etymology

The word Aerides comes from Greek parts aer meaning 'air' and -ides meaning 'belonging to' or 'like'. These orchids often grow on tree branches and seem to live in the air, so the name helps you remember they are 'air' plants prized for their sweet, showy flowers.