lotus
Use Lotus in a sentence
təs noun, plural lo·tus·es.
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.
Origin:
1530–40; < Latin lōtus, lōtos < Greek lōtós the lotus plant, perh of Semitic orig.
1530–40; < Latin lōtus, lōtos < Greek lōtós the lotus plant, perh of Semitic orig.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To Lotus
00:10
Lotus
is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
lotus (ˈləʊtəs) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 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 |
| [C16: via Latin from Greek lōtos, from Semitic; related to Hebrew lōt myrrh] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
lotus
c.1540, from L. lotus, from Gk. lotos, name used for several plants before it came to mean Egyptian white lotus (a sense attested in Eng. from 1584); perhaps from a Sem. source (cf. Heb. lot "myrrh"). The yogic sense is attested from 1848. Lotus-eaters (1832) are from Gk. lotophagoi, mentioned in "Odyssey,"
book IX.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Soon afterward, a new lotus-shaped shrine was built with the herders' guns cemented inside.
Look again at the wallowing happy people, lotus-eating in squalor.
Private gardens, a lotus pond and private swimming pools are available as well.
Revelers eat traditional moon cakes filled with lotus seed and salted egg yolk, or one of many newer varieties.
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