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lotus

American  
[loh-tuhs] / ˈloʊ təs /

noun

lotuses plural
  1. a plant believed to be a jujube or elm, referred to in Greek legend as yielding a fruit that induced a state of dreamy and contented forgetfulness in those who ate it.

  2. the fruit itself.

  3. any aquatic plant of the genus Nelumbo, of the water lily family, having shieldlike leaves and showy, solitary flowers usually projecting above the water.

  4. any of several water lilies of the genus Nymphaea.

  5. a decorative motif derived from such a plant and used widely in ancient art, as on the capitals of Egyptian columns.

  6. any shrubby plant of the genus Lotus, of the legume family, having red, pink, yellow, or white flowers.


lotus British  
/ ˈləʊtəs /

noun

  1. (in Greek mythology) a fruit that induces forgetfulness and a dreamy languor in those who eat it

  2. the plant bearing this fruit, thought to be the jujube, the date, or any of various other plants

  3. any of several water lilies of tropical Africa and Asia, esp the white lotus ( Nymphaea lotus ), which was regarded as sacred in ancient Egypt

  4. a similar plant, Nelumbo nucifera, which is the sacred lotus of India, China, and Tibet and also sacred in Egypt: family Nelumbonaceae

  5. a representation of such a plant, common in Hindu, Buddhist, and ancient Egyptian carving and decorative art

  6. any leguminous plant of the genus Lotus, of the Old World and North America, having yellow, pink, or white pealike flowers

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of lotus

1530–40; < Latin lōtus, lōtos < Greek lōtós the lotus plant, perhaps of Semitic origin

Vocabulary lists containing lotus

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

One is a lotus made of lab-grown diamonds and a tiny gold rocket with micro-sculptures of three of India's best-known scientists.

From BBC Jul. 18, 2026

The landscape includes large areas of rice paddies along with lotus fields, cultivated cropland, and pastureland.

From Science Daily Jun. 22, 2026

"There is a Buddhist saying that the lotus blooms from the mud," Lee said.

From Barron's Feb. 14, 2026

An even older icon awaits at Phnom Penh, a 40-year-old Vietnamese-Cambodian restaurant where crowds eagerly wait their turn to try nearly-raw marinated butter beef and lotus root sautéed with chilies.

From The Wall Street Journal Dec. 27, 2025

It was a square wooden box of teak, thick and well made, with beautiful lotus carvings on the top.

From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook

Spectacular celadons in forms that imitate lotuses, gourds or melons decorated with delicate inlaid and under-carved designs demonstrate peak Goryeo dynasty craftsmanship.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 6, 2026

Plum blossom is a well-liked flower known in China for persevering amid harshness, while lotuses convey peace in the Chinese language.

From Seattle Times Nov. 10, 2023

The lilies and lotuses that stirred Mr. Stella grow on the banks of a little lake, edged with wavy swaths of waterlilies, with dark green pads and white blooms.

From New York Times Nov. 30, 2022

That's his way of transforming photographic studies of cathedrals and lotuses into something utterly subjective.

From Washington Post Feb. 25, 2022

He felt the grooves and ridges of a carving and knew it was the lotuses on the lid.

From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook

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