purple orchis
- noun
- /ˈpɜrpl ˈɔrkɪs/
- US
:
orquídea púrpura
- The guide pointed out a rare purple orchis growing among the wildflowers.
Examples
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The purple orchis blooms in late spring throughout the woodlands.
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Scientists found several purple orchis clusters near the riverbank.
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Look at that purple orchis!
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The purple orchis bloomed beautifully in the garden.
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The purple orchis is a stunning sight with its vibrant violet flowers in the meadow.
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During our hike, we discovered a blooming purple orchis nestled between the trees.
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In the botanical garden, the purple orchis attracted many visitors with its unique colors.
Synonyms
A North American wildflower with a tall spike of purple and white flowers whose parts form a hood
An orchid from North America with a tall spike of purple and white flowers whose petals form a hood
A North American orchid with spikes of purple and white flowers whose petals and sepals form a hood
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase combines the adjective 'purple' (a color) with the noun 'Orchis' (a type of orchid), so the meaning — an Orchis that is purple in color — is directly and compositionally derivable from the parts. This is a standard adjective + noun construction found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand it.
Etymology
Purple orchis is a simple descriptive name: purple points to the flower's color and orchis is an old word for a kind of orchid that came from the plant's rounded root bulbs. So, purple orchis means 'an orchid with purple flowers'.
