noun
golden orchid; Cephalanthera falcata
A species of orchid native to East Asia, with bright yellow flowers. Usually written in katakana as キンラン.
キンランは春に黄色い花を咲かせる。
The golden orchid blooms with yellow flowers in spring.
noun
very close friendship; intimate bond
Literary or formal term for an extremely close friendship, often compared to the bond of orchids. More commonly written with kanji as 金蘭.
二人の間には金蘭の交わりがある。
There is a very close friendship between the two.
From Chinese 金蘭 (jīnlán), literally 'golden orchid', used metaphorically for a close friendship. The plant name is a direct borrowing.