amaryllis

[ am-uh-ril-is ]

noun
  1. any of several bulbous plants of the genus Hippeastrum, especially H. puniceum, which has large red, pink, or white lilylike flowers and is popular as a houseplant.: Compare amaryllis family.

  2. Also called belladonna lily, na·ked la·dy [ney-kid ley-dee] /ˈneɪ kɪd ˈleɪ di/ . a bulbous plant, Amaryllis belladonna, having clusters of usually rose-colored lilylike flowers.

  1. any of several bulbous, ornamental plants with lilylike flowers.

  2. Amaryllis,

    • a shepherdess or country girl, especially in classical and later pastoral poetry.

    • a female given name.

Origin of amaryllis

1
First recorded in 1785–95; from Latin: name of a shepherdess in Vergil's Eclogues

Words Nearby amaryllis

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How to use amaryllis in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for amaryllis (1 of 2)

amaryllis

/ (ˌæməˈrɪlɪs) /


noun
  1. Also called: belladonna lily an amaryllidaceous plant, Amaryllis belladonna, native to southern Africa and having large lily-like reddish or white flowers

  2. any of several related plants, esp hippeastrum

Origin of amaryllis

1
C18: from New Latin, from Latin: named after Amaryllis

British Dictionary definitions for Amaryllis (2 of 2)

Amaryllis

/ (ˌæməˈrɪlɪs) /


noun
  1. (in pastoral poetry) a name for a shepherdess or country girl

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