BUTTERFLY PLANT

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does butterfly plant mean? 

• BUTTERFLY PLANT (noun)
  The noun BUTTERFLY PLANT has 2 senses:

1. orchid having large elliptic to obovate fleshy leaves and fragrant pink-and-white flowers dotted with red

2. any orchid of the genus Oncidium: characterized by slender branching sprays of small yellow and brown flowers; often grown as houseplants

  Familiarity information: BUTTERFLY PLANT used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BUTTERFLY PLANT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Orchid having large elliptic to obovate fleshy leaves and fragrant pink-and-white flowers dotted with red

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

butterfly plant; Phalaenopsis amabilis

Hypernyms ("butterfly plant" is a kind of...):

moth orchid; moth plant (any of various orchids of the genus Phalaenopsis having often drooping glossy broad obovate or oval leaves usually dark green flushed purple or mottled grey and silver)

Holonyms ("butterfly plant" is a member of...):

genus Phalaenopsis; Phalaenopsis (genus of ornamental epiphytic orchids of Asia and Australia)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Any orchid of the genus Oncidium: characterized by slender branching sprays of small yellow and brown flowers; often grown as houseplants

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

butterfly orchid; butterfly plant; dancing lady orchid; oncidium

Hypernyms ("butterfly plant" is a kind of...):

orchid; orchidaceous plant (any of numerous plants of the orchid family usually having flowers of unusual shapes and beautiful colors)

Holonyms ("butterfly plant" is a member of...):

genus Oncidium (large genus of showy epiphytic or lithophytic or terrestrial orchids of tropical and subtropical America)