Orchid (color) facts for kids
This box shows the color orchid. |
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Orchid is a bright and rich purple color. It looks a lot like the color of some beautiful orchid flowers. You can find many different shades of orchid. These can range from a soft grayish-purple to a bright purplish-pink, or even a strong reddish-purple.
People first started using "orchid" as a color name in English in 1915. Later, in 1987, it became one of the official X11 colors. When the internet became popular in 1991, these colors were then known as X11 web colors.
Where the Name Comes From
The name "orchid" for this color comes from the lovely flowers of the huge orchid family (Orchidaceae). For example, flowers like Laelia furfuracea and Ascocentrum pusillum have petals that are exactly this color.
The word "Orchid" itself comes from the Greek word orchis. This word was used because the roots of some Orchis plants look a bit like certain body parts.