noun
: any of several trees reputed to have furnished the lotus mentioned by the ancients: as
a. : a shrubby deciduous jujube tree ( Ziziphus lotus ) of the Mediterranean region that produces small yellow fruits
b. : a tall nettle tree ( Celtis australis ) of the same region that somewhat resembles a beech but produces a small sweet globose fruit
c. : an Asiatic persimmon ( Diospyros lotus ) that is sometimes cultivated for its small rounded yellow or purplish fruits ; also : the common American persimmon ( D. virginiana )