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Glite Dictionary
ram's-head

ram's-head

1 9.9
A rare North American orchid with a brownish-green flower and a red-and-white lip shaped like a small horned animal's head
  • noun
  • /ræmz hɛd/
  • US
translation icon : zapato de dama
  • The ubiquitous ram's horns illustrate the same proverb mentioned earlier in relation to the akonkromfi chair: "A ram fights with its heart, not its horns."
  • ram's-head

Examples

  • Much of the day is spent in synagogue, with the central observance of Rosh Hashanah being the sounding of the shofar, the ram's horn.

    Blog text (33)

  • (n7) Kyerematen considers the remaining curvilinear imagery on the Agogo chair to be further variations on the ram's horn motif.

    Academic text (2003)

  • I loved hearing him talk about the ram's head in the plastic bubble and then seeing your photograph of it.

    Blog text (9)

  • "No way," said Max, lowering his ram's horn.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Wooden backrest with carved ram's head.

    Academic text (1993)

  • Wooden backrest with carved ram's head.

    Academic text (1993)

  • A pair of stylized ram's horns may appear on either side of this motif.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Ntakerakye are distinguished by a spread of eagle feathers, a pair of cast-gold ram's horns, and a cascade of amulets.

    Academic text (2003)

  • The rare ram's-head orchid grows in the damp woods of northern North America.

  • During our hike, we spotted a beautiful ram's-head blooming among the ferns.

Synonyms

Cypripedium arietinum
vsram's-head
  • Specialized
9.9

A small wild orchid with a red-and-white pouch that looks like a ram's head

is the ordinary English name used outside scientific naming
ram's-head lady's slipper
vsram's-head
  • US
9.9

A rare wild orchid with a red and white lip shaped like a ram's head

is the shorter common name without the plant type tag

Surface Forms

ram's-head singular
ram's-heads plural

Morphology

ram's-head = ram + head (semi-transparent) = ram + head

The components 'ram' and 'head' clearly describe the flower's appearance, but as a specialized botanical name the exact referent (a particular orchid) is a specific lexical item not fully predictable from the parts.

Etymology

The word ram's-head comes from two simple words: ram (a 'male sheep') and head. The orchid was named because its flower, especially the red-and-white lip, looks like a ram's head, so the name tells you what the plant looks like.