orchis Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun any of various deciduous terrestrial orchids having fleshy tubers and flowers in erect terminal racemes
  2. noun one of the two male reproductive glands that produce spermatozoa and secrete androgens
    testis; ball; nut; ballock; bollock; egg; testicle.
    • she kicked him in the balls and got away

WordNet

Or"chis noun
Etymology
L., fr. Gr. a testicle, the orchis; -- so called from its tubers.
Wordforms
plural Orchises
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) A genus of endogenous plants growing in the North Temperate zone, and consisting of about eighty species. They are perennial herbs growing from a tuber (beside which is usually found the last year's tuber also), and are valued for their showy flowers. See Orchidaceous.
  2. (Bot.) Any plant of the same family with the orchis; an orchid. ✍ The common names, such as bee orchis, fly orchis, butterfly orchis, etc., allude to the peculiar form of the flower.

Webster 1913