lotus
Americannoun
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lotuses
plural
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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.
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the fruit itself.
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any aquatic plant of the genus Nelumbo, of the water lily family, having shieldlike leaves and showy, solitary flowers usually projecting above the water.
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any of several water lilies of the genus Nymphaea.
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a decorative motif derived from such a plant and used widely in ancient art, as on the capitals of Egyptian columns.
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any shrubby plant of the genus Lotus, of the legume family, having red, pink, yellow, or white flowers.
noun
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(in Greek mythology) a fruit that induces forgetfulness and a dreamy languor in those who eat it
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the plant bearing this fruit, thought to be the jujube, the date, or any of various other plants
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any of several water lilies of tropical Africa and Asia, esp the white lotus ( Nymphaea lotus ), which was regarded as sacred in ancient Egypt
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a similar plant, Nelumbo nucifera, which is the sacred lotus of India, China, and Tibet and also sacred in Egypt: family Nelumbonaceae
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a representation of such a plant, common in Hindu, Buddhist, and ancient Egyptian carving and decorative art
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any leguminous plant of the genus Lotus, of the Old World and North America, having yellow, pink, or white pealike flowers
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:
The landscape includes large areas of rice paddies along with lotus fields, cultivated cropland, and pastureland.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 22, 2026
"In a sport once seen as unpopular and overlooked, it feels as if a lotus has truly blossomed."
From Barron's ● Feb. 14, 2026
Among England's Tudor rose, Scotland's thistle, the Welsh leek and the Irish shamrock are the Canadian maple leaf and India's lotus flower.
From BBC ● Dec. 26, 2025
When a strong light is trained on it, however, that image is projected onto a wall to reveal Amida standing on a lotus blossom and radiating beams of light.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2025
Even the painted lotus flowers on the back panel had been clawed by the thorns.
From "Rickshaw Girl" by Mitali Perkins
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
They can range from simple geometric shapes resembling petals to highly detailed and realistic representations of various flowers like roses, lotuses and jasmine.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 24, 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
The other half is from the south: land of magnificent temples, hot blistering beach towns, lotuses, coconut trees, Kanjeevaram silk sarees, and bunches of jasmine woven through your hair.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 9, 2021
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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
