Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of numerous epiphytic orchids of the genus Dendrobium native to tropical and subtropical Asia, Australia, and the islands of the Pacific Ocean, widely cultivated as houseplants.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun [lowercase] A plant of the genus Dendrobium.
  • noun An extensive genus of orchidaceous epiphytes, distributed through southeastern Asia from India to Japan, Australia, and the islands of the South Pacific.
  • noun In entomology, a genus of coleopterous insects.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun botany Any plant of the genus Dendrobium.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a plant of the genus Dendrobium having stems like cane and usually showy racemose flowers

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[New Latin, genus name : dendro– + Greek bios, life; see gwei- in Indo-European roots.]

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word dendrobium.

Examples

  • The term dendrobium combines the Greek words δεντρο (tree) and βίος (life).

    Dendrobium: Family Orchidaceae's tree of life 2008

  • The term dendrobium combines the Greek words δεντρο (tree) and βίος (life).

    Archive 2008-04-01 2008

  • Most dendrobium species are epiphytic and grow on other plants.

    Dendrobium: Family Orchidaceae's tree of life 2008

  • The orchids are dendrobium sp, and I rather think they are so inbred as to be useless to bees!

    In my garden Glenda Larke 2008

  • Your husband will probably wear a navy or dark gray suit to those weddings, so consider a gardenia, a cluster of mini calla lilies or tiny dendrobium orchids.

    What Flowers Look Best With Fashions? 2008

  • And when all other topics dry up faster than the dendrobium, you watch TV—very, very loud TV.

    You Know Where to Find Me Rachel Cohn 2008

  • And when all other topics dry up faster than the dendrobium, you watch TV—very, very loud TV.

    You Know Where to Find Me Rachel Cohn 2008

  • Most dendrobium species are epiphytic and grow on other plants.

    Archive 2008-04-01 2008

  • No—Peter wrapped large branches with dendrobium orchids, then stood the arrangements in trays of rough-cut opaque glass.

    Weddings Valentine Style Diann Valentine 2006

  • Remember, too, that you will make a more powerful statement with, say, a single stem of dendrobium orchids than with a crowd of carnations or mums.

    Weddings Valentine Style Diann Valentine 2006

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.