Buddha

[ boo-duh, boo d-uh ]

/ ˈbu də, ˈbʊd ə /

noun

Also called Butsu, Gautama, Gautama Buddha. Prince Siddhāttha or Siddhartha, 566?–c480 b.c., Indian religious leader: founder of Buddhism.

any of a series of teachers in Buddhism, of whom Gautama was the last, who bring enlightenment and wisdom.

(sometimes lowercase) Buddhism. a person who has attained full prajna, or enlightenment; Arhat.

Origin of Buddha

1675–85; < Sanskrit: awakened (budh- awaken, notice, understand + -ta past participle suffix)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for buddha

“My children are traumatised,” Than Dar told a group of reporters in front a large reclining Buddha.
Hope and Change? Burma Kills a Journalist Before Obama Arrives|Joshua Carroll|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was the first time I witnessed his balanced mix of strength and kindness, or what could be dubbed his “Buddha nature.”
The Buddhist Punk Reforming Drug Rehab|Stephen Krcmar|June 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the Buddha condemned both extreme luxury and extreme poverty as obstacles to enlightenment.
Complaining Like It’s 1999: ‘Fight Club,’ ‘American Beauty,’ and the Revolt of the Cubicle Drone|Arthur Chu|June 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This is one of the meanings of the famous Zen koan, “If you see the Buddha on the road, kill him.”
The Shocking Scandal at the Heart of American Zen|Jay Michaelson|November 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST

He so much embodied the ancient teachings of the Buddha, yet insisted on a completely inclusive, secular, contemporary approach.
How S.N. Goenka Changed My Life—And the Lives of Millions More|Sharon Salzberg|October 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It was taught by Buddha, it was taught by Socrates, and it was taught for the last time in the most powerful manner by Kant.
Thoughts on Life and Religion|Friedrich Max Mller
They resolved to devise some means to lower the character of Buddha in the opinion of the people.
The Life or Legend of Gaudama|Right Reverend Paul Ambroise Bigandet
At last she determined to repair to Buddha himself and appeal to him.
The Influence of Buddhism on Primitive Christianity|Arthur Lillie
Two or three services are intoned before the image of the Buddha each day.
Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch, Vol. 3 (of 3)|Charles Eliot
One of the duties of a priest of Buddha is to study the medicinal properties of plants in order to benefit his fellow men.
The Student's Mythology|Catherine Ann White

British Dictionary definitions for buddha (1 of 2)

buddha

/ (ˈbʊdə) /

noun

Buddhism (often capital) a person who has achieved a state of perfect enlightenment

an image or picture of the Buddha

Word Origin for buddha

C17: from Sanskrit: awakened, enlightened, from budh to awake, know

British Dictionary definitions for buddha (2 of 2)

Buddha

/ (ˈbʊdə) /

noun

the Buddha ?563–483 bc, a title applied to Gautama Siddhartha, a nobleman and religious teacher of N India, regarded by his followers as the most recent rediscoverer of the path to enlightenment: the founder of Buddhism

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012