orchido-

1. a combining form used, with the meaning “orchid,” “testicle,” in the formation of compound words:

   orchidology; orchidotomy.

Word History and Origins

Origin of orchido-¹

orchid- (erroneously taken as stem of Greek órchis orchis; orchid ) + -o-

Words That Use Orchido-

What does orchido- mean?

Orchido- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning either “testicle” (testis) or “orchid.” In medicine, it refers to testicles. In botany, it refers to orchid flowers.

Orchido- comes from the Greek órchis, meaning “testicle.” How did the Greek word for testicle give rise to the name of a type of beautiful flower? Well, the roots of orchids were thought to resemble testicles. Learn more at our entry for orchis.

What are variants of orchido-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, orchido- becomes orchid-, as in orchiditis. Another variant is orchi-, as in orchiectomy.

The combining form orchio-, as in orchioplasty, is also used to represent “testicle” in medical terminology.

Examples of orchido-

One example of a term from botany that features the combining form orchido- is orchidology, meaning “the branch of botany or horticulture dealing with orchids.”

Orchido- means “orchid” in botany, as we’ve noted. The combining form –logy may be familiar from terms like biology; it is used to name sciences or bodies of knowledge. Orchidology literally translates to “the study of orchids.”

What are some words that use the combining form orchido-?

• orchidometer
• orchidopexy
• orchidophile
• orchidotomy

What are some other forms that orchido- may be commonly confused with?

• organo-
• oophoro-
• ornitho-
• ortho-

The word orchestra, despite beginning with the letters orch-, is not related to the combining form orchido-. Learn more about the Greek origins of this musical term at our entry for the word.

Break it down!

The combining form -tomy is used in medical terms to mean “cutting, incision.” What does the surgical procedure of an orchidotomy involve?