bee orchid
- noun
- UK
:
orquídea abeja
- During our hike, we spotted a bee orchid that perfectly mimicked the shape and color of a bumblebee.
Examples
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Take the bee orchid, whose petals look almost exactly like the velvety body of a bee.
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The bee orchid blooms in early summer, attracting pollinators with its bee-like appearance.
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The bee orchid is unique because it uses its flower's resemblance to a bee to entice insects for pollination.
Synonyms
A European flower that looks like a bumblebee to attract insects
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning of 'bee orchid' is directly compositional: it denotes an orchid related to or resembling a bee, so a B1 learner who knows 'bee' and 'orchid' can infer it refers to a type of orchid associated with bees. This noun–noun naming pattern is literal and cross-linguistically common, making the expression immediately understandable from its parts.
Etymology
Bee orchid has flowers that look like a bumble bee. One popular story says the flower tricks male bees into landing on it, so the insects pick up pollen and carry it to other flowers, and that's why the plant is called the 'bee' orchid.
