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Glite Dictionary
orchid family

orchid family

5.6
A large family of flowering plants with bright, often unusual flowers found worldwide
  • noun
  • /ˈɔrkɪd ˈfæmɪli/
translation icon : familia de las orquídeas
  • Botanists study the orchid family to learn more about its diverse habitats and adaptations.

Examples

  • PHOTO (COLOR): Yellow Fringed Orchis, a member of the orchid family, is rather rare in West Virginia, and I know of only one location where it grows.

    Academic text (2005)

  • The orchid family includes many beautiful species that attract gardeners from around the world.

  • Many members of the orchid family are prized for their unique and intricate flowers.

Synonyms

Orchidaceae
vsorchid family
  • Specialized
9.0

A large group of flowering plants that includes many orchids with beautiful flowers

is the common descriptive name rather than the scientific term

How Showy

showy daisy
  • US
8.4
orchid family
5.6
wildflower
33 2.2
grass
521 1.0

Surface Forms

orchid family singular
orchid families plural

Morphology

orchid + family

The meaning 'a group/taxonomic family of orchids' is directly derivable from combining 'orchid' (a flowering plant) with 'family' (a grouping of related species). This straightforward compositional noun phrase follows common cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

Orchid family comes from using family the same way we use it for people: a 'family' is a group of related members, so plant experts call a large group of related orchid plants the orchid family. That's why the phrase means the whole group of similar orchid plants.