arethusa
arethusa Lexical Profile
arethusa Game Scores & Validity
• noun
In Greek mythology, a naiad or woodland nymph of Elis who was transformed by Artemis into a subterranean spring emerging at Syracuse, Sicily, in order to escape the amorous pursuit of the river god Alpheus.
"Many ancient silver coins from Syracuse prominently feature the classical profile of Arethusa surrounded by leaping dolphins."
North American A rare, terrestrial orchid (Arethusa bulbosa) native to eastern North America, typically found in sphagnum bogs and acidic swamps, distinguished by a single bright pink or purplish flower with a yellow-crested, fringed lip.
"During the botanical survey of the northern peat bog, the team was delighted to find a blooming arethusa hidden among the pitcher plants."
• Rhymes for arethusa
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Latin 'Arethusa', from Ancient Greek 'Ἀρέθουσα' (Arethousa), possibly from 'ἄρδω' (to water). The terrestrial orchid genus was named by Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1753 in honor of the mythological water nymph.