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| lotus [ lṓtəss ] (plural lotuses or lotus) |
noun |
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| Definition: |
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1. sacred pink water lily: a water lily with large leaves, regarded as sacred in South Asia, China, and Tibet. Flowers: fragrant, pink. Native to: South Asia, Australia. Latin name Nelumbo nucifera.
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2. sacred white water lily: a water lily sacred to the ancient Egyptians. Flowers: white. Native to: tropical Africa and South Asia. Latin name Nymphaea lotus.
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3. plant of pea family: a plant of the pea family. Flowers: yellow, pink, or white. Genus Lotus.
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4. lotus flower in sacred art: a representation of the flower of either of the sacred lotus plants, common in ancient Egyptian, Hindu, and Buddhist sacred art
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5. mythological fruit causing drowsiness: in Greek mythology, a fruit that made people who ate it feel a pleasant drowsiness
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6. mythological plant yielding lotus fruit: in Greek mythology, a plant that produced the lotus fruit, thought to be the date or jujube
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| [15th century. Via Latin< Greek lōtos, applied to a variety of plants] |
