tulip

American  

[too-lip, tyoo-] / ˈtu lɪp, ˈtyu- /

noun

1. any of various plants belonging to the genus Tulipa, of the lily family, cultivated in many varieties, and having lance-shaped leaves and large, showy, usually erect, cup-shaped or bell-shaped flowers in a variety of colors.

2. a flower or bulb of such a plant.

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tulip British  

/ ˈtjuːlɪp /

noun

1. any spring-blooming liliaceous plant of the temperate Eurasian genus Tulipa , having tapering bulbs, long broad pointed leaves, and single showy bell-shaped flowers

2. the flower or bulb of any of these plants

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Other Word Forms

• tulip-like adjective
• tuliplike adjective

Etymology

Origin of tulip

1570–80; earlier tulipa < New Latin, apparently back formation from Italian tulipano (taken as adj.) < Turkish tülbent turban (from a fancied likeness); turban

Example Sentences

The most irrational of all bubbles was the Dutch tulip craze in the 17th century.

From Barron's • Dec. 12, 2025

To others, however, OpenAI is something akin to tulip mania, the harbinger of the Great Depression, or the next dot-com bubble.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025

There is an annual tulip festival that celebrates Pella’s Dutch heritage.

From Slate • Oct. 22, 2025

While the garden is open, so-called tulip guardians will maintain the fields while encouraging visitors to stick to the paths between the rows of flowers, to avoid damaging the bulbs.

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2025

They were some time acquiring a stove and when they did find what they wanted, a silver-scrolled monster with floriated warming ovens and a front like a nickel-plated tulip garden, they had trouble getting it.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck