ladies' slipper
- noun
- /ˈleɪdiz ˈslɪpər/
- US
:
zapato de dama
- During our hike, we spotted a rare ladies' slipper orchid tucked under the trees.
- pink ladies' slipper
- yellow ladies' slipper
Examples
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The ladies' slippers bloom in the spring.
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The ladies' slipper is prized by wildflower enthusiasts for its unique shape and rare appearance.
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Because ladies' slipper orchids are difficult to cultivate, they are rarely seen in gardens.
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Hikers were delighted to spot a cluster of ladies' slippers growing in the forest clearing.
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I saw a beautiful ladies' slipper in the garden.
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In the spring, we enjoyed the beauty of the pink ladies' slipper blooming in our garden.
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The large yellow ladies' slipper is a stunning sight in many woodlands across North America.
Synonyms
30
9.8
A North American wildflower with a slipper-shaped lower petal
1
9.2
A wild orchid with a pouch-shaped lower petal that is hard to grow in gardens
1
9.9
An orchid from Southeast Asia with a showy slipper-shaped flower
A wildflower with a pouch-shaped lower petal that grows in shaded woods
A group of orchid plants with slipper-shaped flowers
A wild North American orchid with a pouch-shaped lower petal that is hard to grow in gardens
A wild orchid with a large pouch-shaped lower petal like a slipper
A tropical American orchid with a slipper-shaped flower like a lady's shoe
A kind of orchid with a pouch-shaped waxy flower
A kind of orchid with a pouch-shaped lower petal
An orchid with a pouch-shaped flower like a slipper
Surface Forms
Morphology
ladies' + slipper
The phrase transparently describes something resembling a 'ladies' slipper' — the constituents signal a slipper associated with ladies and the name is motivated by the flower's slipper-like pouch. However, the fact that the referent is a specific wildflower (not footwear) is not fully predictable from the words alone, so learners may grasp the shape metaphor but not that it names a plant.
Etymology
The noun ladies' slipper may come from the flower's pouch that looks like a small slipper or shoe for a lady, so people named the plant after that clear picture. That's why the name now means 'a wild orchid with a pouch-like flower'.