tulip

noun

tu·​lip ˈtü-ləp 

ˈtyü-

: any of a genus (Tulipa) of Eurasian bulbous herbs of the lily family that have linear or broadly lanceolate leaves and are widely grown for their showy flowers

also : the flower or bulb of a tulip

Examples of tulip in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Bright tulips, daffodils and other spring blooms in vases or planters bring pops of color and a springtime feel to your home. —Nora Colomer, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025

My grass was a bright shade of fairy tale green, the trees were budding and my tulips had bloomed. —Sherry Kuehl, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2025

Though largely a desert landscape, yellow tulips are as common as rocket launches at the Russia-run Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. —Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 8 Apr. 2025

Holland, Michigan, is REALLY into tulips and offers a lot of potentially interesting visuals and plot points, yet much of the thriller could have been set anywhere. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin tulipa, from Turkish tülbent turban — more at turban

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tulip

• cottage tulip
• Darwin tulip
• tulip poplar
• tulip tree

Kids Definition

tulip

noun

tu·​lip ˈt(y)ü-ləp 

: any of a genus of Eurasian herbs that grow from bulbs, have large lance-shaped leaves, are related to the lilies, and are widely grown for their showy cup-shaped flowers

also : the flower or bulb of a tulip

Etymology

from scientific Latin tulipa "the tulip," from Turkish tülbent "tulip," literally "turban"

Word Origin

We often think of the tulip as a Dutch flower. The Dutch certainly do grow many tulips, but they first got the plant from Turkey. The Turkish word for the tulip was tülbent, meaning literally "turban." Perhaps it was the flower's shape that reminded the Turks of a turban. Or perhaps it was the bright colors and velvety petals. In any case, scientists picking a universal word for the flower chose the scientific Latin tulipa, taken from the Turkish word. The word came into English from the scientific Latin and was spelled tulip.