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Added 9 October 2026

lotus

/ˈloʊtəs/ noun

In Latin: lotus First recorded: 1540 Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about lotus at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Native to eastern Asia; widely cultivated for its large pink or white flowers.
Annual or perennial herbs or subshrubs.
White Egyptian lotus: water lily of Egypt to southeastern Africa; held sacred by the Egyptians.

Origin

Unadapted borrowing from Latin lōtus, from Ancient Greek λωτός (lōtós). Doublet of lote. First attested in the 1540s. Ultimately from Hebrew לוֹט (lōṭ, “myrrh”, literally “covering, envelope”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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