lotus
/ˈləʊtəs/noun
1
- either of two large water lilies大型莲; 睡莲。
1.1
- （亦作sacred lotus）a red-flowered Asian lily (Nelumbo nucifera, family Nelumbonaceae).莲, 荷（拉丁名Nelumbo nucifera,莲科）。
1.2
- （亦作Egyptian lotus）a lily regarded as sacred in ancient Egypt (the white-flowered Nymphaea lotus and the blue-flowered N. caerulea, family Nymphaeaceae).埃及睡莲（古埃及的神圣百合, 如开白花的齿叶睡莲和开蓝花的蓝睡莲, 睡莲科）。
2
- (in Greek mythology) a legendary plant whose fruit induces a dreamy forgetfulness and an unwillingness to depart（希腊神话）忘忧树（传说中的一种植物, 食其果实后能使人神思恍惚、忘却现实世界, 并失去回归家园的愿望）。
2.1
- the flower of the sacred lotus as a symbol in Asian art and religion莲（花）饰（在亚洲艺术和宗教中带有象征意义）。
2.2
- short for LOTUS POSITION.LOTUS POSITION的简称。
词源
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 2) mentioned by Homer, was thought by later Greek writers to be Ziziphus lotus, a relative of the jujube.