/ ˈləʊtəs; NAmE ˈloʊ-/ noun
1.
a tropical plant with white or pink flowers that grows on the surface of lakes in Africa and Asia :
a lotus flower
2.
a picture in the shape of the lotus plant, used in art and architecture , especially in ancient Egypt
3.
( in ancient Greek stories ) a fruit that is supposed to make you feel happy and relaxed when you have eaten it, as if in a dream
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WORD ORIGIN
late 15th cent. (denoting a type of clover or trefoil, described by Homer as food for horses): via Latin from Greek lōtos , of Semitic origin. The term was used by classical writers to denote various trees and plants; the legendary plant (sense 3), mentioned by Homer, was thought by later Greek writers to be Ziziphus lotus , a relative of the jujube plant found in Eurasia.