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Glite Dictionary
dragon's mouth

dragon's mouth

9.9
A small wild orchid with a single bright pink fragrant flower that opens wide in bogs
  • noun
  • /ˈdræɡənz maʊθ/
  • US
translation icon : boca de dragón
  • The vibrant blossom of the dragon's mouth orchid is easy to spot in the boggy meadow.

Examples

  • Botanists visited Canada to observe the rare dragon's mouth in its natural habitat.

  • A single dragon's mouth stood out amid the green moss of the wetland.

  • Look at that dragon's mouth!

  • I saw a dragon's mouth.

  • The vibrant blossom of the dragon's mouth orchid is easy to spot in the boggy meadow.

  • Botanists visited Canada to observe the rare dragon's mouth in its natural habitat.

  • A single dragon's mouth stood out amid the green moss of the wetland.

Synonyms

Arethusa bulbosa
vsdragon's mouth
  • Specialized
9.9

A North American orchid that grows in wet bogs with one fragrant pink flower

is the common name for the same species stressing the wide gaping corolla
bog rose
vsdragon's mouth
  • Canadian
9.9

A flower that grows in bogs with one fragrant bright-pink bloom and wide open petals

applies across North America rather than being mainly Canadian

Surface Forms

dragon's mouth singular
dragon's mouths plural

Morphology

dragon's + mouth

The phrase transparently evokes a 'mouth' belonging to a dragon, so a learner who knows both words would likely infer a mouth-like shape or striking appearance. However, the specific encyclopedic meaning — that it is the name of a particular bog orchid (Arethusa bulbosa) — is not derivable from the parts alone, so the expression is only partially motivated by its constituents.

Etymology

Dragon's mouth gets its name from the flower's shape: its wide, open petals make a big mouth that people thought looked like a dragon. That's why people call this bog 'orchid' a dragon's mouth, and why the name helps you remember the plant.