Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
tongue-flower

tongue-flower

9.9
An orchid with blue or purple flowers and a tongue-shaped part on the flower's lip
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : flor lengua
  • Each tongue-flower has a distinctive lip with a protruding, strap-shaped callus.

Examples

  • The tongue-flower is prized by collectors for its unusual blue-violet blossoms.

  • The tongue-flower is known for its striking blue and purple petals that attract many pollinators.

  • Botanists were excited to discover a new species of tongue-flower in the rainforest.

  • The tongue-flower blooms beautifully in spring.

  • Have you seen a tongue-flower before?

  • In the garden, the tongue-flower stood out among the other orchids with its unique tongue-shaped structure.

  • Many horticulturists seek out the tongue-flower for its rare and beautiful flower shape.

Synonyms

tongueflower
vstongue-flower
9.9

An orchid with blue to purple petals and small tongue-shaped parts at the flower base

is the same but written with a hyphen between parts

Surface Forms

tongue-flower singular
tongue-flowers plural

Morphology

tongue-flower = tongue + flower (transparent) = tongue + flower

A straightforward compound: a flower characterized by tongue-shaped parts, so the meaning is directly derived from its components.

Etymology

Tongue-flower joins tongue ('tongue') and flower because the orchid has a petal or lip that looks like a long 'tongue'. That's why tongue-flower names plants with a strap-shaped, tongue-like part at the base of the blossom.