Definition

Noun: 1. A perennial aquatic plant native to Asia: The Indian lotus is a flowering plant that grows in water, known for its large, showy, pink or white flowers and broad, floating leaves. It is a culturally and religiously significant symbol in many Asian traditions.

Examples of Usage

• The serene pond was filled with Indian lotus plants, their pink blossoms just beginning to open at dawn.
• In many temples, the Indian lotus is depicted as a sacred seat for deities, symbolizing purity and enlightenment.
• Botanists study the Indian lotus for its unique hydrophobic properties, which cause water to bead and roll off its leaves.

Advanced Usage

• "Sacred lotus": A common alternative name emphasizing the plant's religious symbolism.
  • The sacred lotus, or Indian lotus, is central to Buddhist and Hindu iconography.
• Botanical context: Often referred to by its scientific name, , in academic or horticultural writing.
  • The seeds of Nelumbo nucifera, the Indian lotus, can remain viable for an extraordinarily long time.

Variants and Related Words

• Lotus (n): A more general term often used synonymously with "Indian lotus," though it can sometimes refer to other plants like the water lily.
• Nelumbo (n): The genus name for the Indian lotus and its close relatives.
• Lotus flower (n): A common phrase referring specifically to the bloom of the Indian lotus plant.

Synonyms

• Sacred lotus
• (scientific name)

Related Phrases

• Lotus position: A cross-legged sitting posture for meditation, named for its resemblance to the flower.
  • She sat in the lotus position to meditate by the pond of Indian lotus.
• Lotus eater: A person devoted to pleasure and luxury, from a mythological people who ate the narcotic lotus fruit (note: this idiom typically references a different, mythological plant, not the Indian lotus).
  • After his vacation, he felt like a lotus eater, reluctant to return to his routine.

Noun

1. native to eastern Asia; widely cultivated for its large pink or white flowers