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Glite Dictionary
early spider orchid

early spider orchid

8.3
An orchid that flowers in spring with pale outer petals and a large brown soft middle petal
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : orquídea araña temprana
  • The early spider orchid blooms in March.

Examples

  • Botanists are excited by the reappearance of the rare early spider orchid in the region.

  • The early spider orchid blooms in spring, displaying its distinctive velvety lip.

  • The early spider orchid can be found in chalk grasslands across southern England.

  • I saw an early spider orchid in the garden.

  • The gardener was thrilled to see the first blooms of the early spider orchid in the spring sunshine.

  • Many wildlife enthusiasts visit the local park to admire the rare early spider orchid during the blooming season.

  • With its striking brown velvety lip, the early spider orchid stands out among the other flowers in the meadow.

Synonyms

Ophrys sphegodes
vsearly spider orchid
  • Specialized
9.9

A kind of orchid that blooms in spring with green, yellow, or pink petals and a broad brown velvety centre

is the same description but omits the native geographic range

Surface Forms

early spider orchid singular
early spider orchids plural

Morphology

early + spider + orchid

The phrase is a straightforward compound noun: 'orchid' (a flowering plant) modified by 'spider' (indicating a spider-like form) and 'early' (indicating it blooms early). This follows common noun-modifier patterns for plant names that are cross-linguistically frequent, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can infer it refers to a type of orchid that resembles a spider and flowers early, even if they lack the botanical specifics.

Etymology

Early spider orchid comes from two clear images: it is an orchid that is early in spring, and its dark lip looks like a spider. So, the name means an orchid that 'blooms early' and 'looks like a spider'.