cattleya

noun

cat·​tle·​ya ˈkat-lē-ə How to pronounce cattleya (audio)
kat-ˈlā-ə, 
-ˈlē-
: any of a genus (Cattleya) of tropical American epiphytic orchids with showy hooded flowers

Examples of cattleya in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Orchids Are Must-See In the orchid room, 250 types of phalaenopsis and cattleya orchids are arranged along the walls at all four sides. — Jenny Hughes, The Spruce, 9 Apr. 2026 Unlike Santal Blush and Tobacco Vanille, Flowerbomb is a floral fragrance with notes of cattleya, jasmine, and rose layered with patchouli and vanilla. — Rebecca Norris, InStyle, 13 Mar. 2026 The four perfumers behind the original scent focused on floral notes (jasmine, orange blossom, rose, and cattleya) to get the explosion just right. — Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2025 Another solid beginner’s choice is a corsage orchid (cattleya bicolor). — Karen Hugg, Washington Post, 12 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin Cattleya, genus name, from William Cattley †1835 English merchant & horticulturist

Note: The taxon Cattleya was introduced by the English botanist John Lindley (1799-1865) in Collectanea Botanica, or Figures and Botanical Illustrations of Rare and Curious Exotic Plants (London, 1821), tabula 33: "Our drawing [of Cattleya labiata] was drawn by Mr. Curtis from a specimen which flowered in Mr. Cattley's stove last November. Without exception it is the handsomest species of the order we have ever seen alive: and we have on that account the greater pleasure in publishing it, as it has given us an opportunity to pay a compliment to a gentleman, whose ardour in the collection, and whose unrivaled success in the cultivation, of the difficult tribe of plants to which it belongs, have long since given him the strongest claims to such a distinction."

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cattleya was in 1828

Browse Nearby Words

cattle tick
cattleya
cattleya fly
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Cite this Entry

“Cattleya.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cattleya. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cattleya

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cattleya

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