lotus

American  

[loh-tuhs] / ˈloʊ təs /

noun

plural

lotuses

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.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of lotus

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

Example Sentences

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

From Barron's • Feb. 14, 2026

I used shards from bowls and my end product looked like a lotus flower, a thing I did not realize until someone pointed it out.

From Salon • Nov. 25, 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

Soon after, Greene’s work filled nearly every room of his former Rancho Palos Verdes home: lamps, shelves, an altar, an armoire adorned with a lotus flower.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 21, 2025

The halls were empty and the lotus garden deserted, except for ibises meditating on the existence of frogs.

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer