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Glite Dictionary
snow orchid

snow orchid

9.9
A small plant with white waxy flowers and few leaves that grows in western US mountains
  • noun
  • US
translation icon : orquídea de nieve
  • The snow orchid blooms early in the summer along mountain trails.

Examples

  • Botanists were excited to find a rare snow orchid in Idaho.

  • The delicate flowers of the snow orchid stood out against the forest floor.

  • The snow orchid blooms in early spring.

  • In Idaho, the snow orchids thrive in the wild.

  • Botanists were excited to find a rare snow orchid in Idaho.

  • The snow orchid blooms early in the summer along mountain trails.

  • In Idaho, the snow orchid thrives in the wild.

Synonyms

Eburophyton austinae
vssnow orchid
  • Specialized
9.9

A waxy plant often without green leaves that has clusters of white flowers in northwestern United States

is the common everyday name for the same plant rather than a species label
phantom orchid
vssnow orchid
  • US
9.9

A pale white plant with almost no leaves that gets food from fungi in shaded forests

is the plant's other common name used interchangeably in the region

Surface Forms

snow orchid singular
snow orchids plural

Morphology

snow + orchid

The compound 'snow orchid' labels a type of orchid characterized by whiteness or association with snowy habitats, which is directly inferable from combining 'snow' (white/frozen) and 'orchid' (a flowering plant). This noun-noun composition follows a common and transparent descriptive pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent words can reasonably predict the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Snow orchid gets its name from its white, waxy flowers that sit on pale stems like patches of snow, and because it is a kind of orchid. So the name helps you remember a pale, nearly leafless mountain plant.