lotus

noun

lo·​tus ˈlō-təs 

plural lotuses also lotus

1

or less commonly lotos

ˈlō-təs 

: a fruit eaten by the lotus-eaters and considered to cause indolence and dreamy contentment

also : a tree (such as Zizyphus lotus of the buckthorn family) reputed to bear this fruit

2

: any of various water lilies including several represented in ancient Egyptian and Hindu art and religious symbolism

3

[New Latin, from Latin]

a

: any of a genus (Lotus) of widely distributed upright herbs or subshrubs of the legume family

b

: sweet clover

Illustration of lotus

• lotus 2

Examples of lotus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Get a lotus, bro! Skims The actor stars in the pictorial, shot by Carin Backoff, with his fiancée, model Abby Champion. —Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 17 Mar. 2025

The lotus garden—a Thai lobster salad with makrut lime and caviar—encapsulates Thai culture in one dish. —Jenn Rice, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025

Both looks seem to make a subtle and understated reference to the yellow American lotus flower. —Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 15 Feb. 2025

Its packaging, a jewel-like blue bottle engraved with a golden lotus, looks like it was plucked from a fantasy apothecary in the night sky. —Jenny Berg, Allure, 13 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin & Greek; Latin lotus, from Greek lōtos

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing lotus

• lotus-eater
• lotus position

Rhymes for lotus

• motus
• notice
• haliotis
• melilotus
• microtus
• myotis

Kids Definition

lotus

noun

lo·​tus ˈlōt-əs 

: any of various water lilies including several represented in ancient Egyptian and Hindu art