lotos

A traveler eats a lotos fruit under a tree.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A plant in the water lily family: "lotos" (also spelled "lotus") refers to any of various tropical water lilies, especially those of the genus Nelumbo, known for their large, showy flowers and broad, floating leaves.
   • A mythological fruit: In Greek mythology, "lotos" denotes the fruit of the lotos tree, which was said to induce a dreamy, forgetful state in those who ate it, causing them to lose all desire to return home.

Usage Examples

• As a plant:

  • The sacred lotos flower is often depicted in ancient Egyptian art. (A water lily with symbolic meaning.)
  • She painted a pond filled with pink lotos blooms. (The flowers of the lotos plant.)

• As a mythological fruit:

  • In Homer's Odyssey, the lotos-eaters offered the fruit to Odysseus's men. (A legendary fruit causing forgetfulness.)
  • Eating the lotos made the sailors forget their homeland. (The mythological fruit's effect.)

Advanced Usage

• "Lotos-eater": a person who lives a life of idle, dreamy pleasure, derived from the mythological lotos-eaters.

  • He became a lotos-eater, spending his days in lazy contentment. (A person indulging in idle luxury.)

• "Lotos position": a cross-legged sitting posture used in meditation and yoga, resembling the shape of a lotos flower.

  • She sat in the lotos position to meditate. (A seated yoga pose.)

Variants and Related Words

• Lotus (n): the more common spelling of "lotos" for the water lily plant; often used interchangeably.
  • The lotus is a symbol of purity in many cultures. (The water lily plant.)
• Lotos-eater (n): a person who indulges in daydreaming or idleness.
  • The poet described himself as a lotos-eater lost in reverie. (A dreamy, inactive person.)

Synonyms

• Water lily: a general term for aquatic plants with floating leaves and flowers.
• Nelumbo: the scientific genus name for lotos plants.
• Dream fruit: a descriptive term for the mythological lotos fruit.

Related Idioms

• To eat of the lotos: to abandon ambition and responsibility in favor of pleasure or idleness.

  • After retiring, he seemed to eat of the lotos, caring only for leisure. (To give up active life for ease.)

• Lotos land: a place of blissful, dreamy indolence.

  • They imagined the island as a lotos land where no work was needed. (A mythical place of idle pleasure.)