Meaning & use
lotus tree
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Meaning
nouncountableliterary
In Greek mythology, a tree whose fruit caused pleasant forgetfulness in those who ate it.
Grammar: Usually used with “the” in stories about the Lotus-eaters: the lotus tree, the lotus trees.
Patterns
- the lotus tree
- fruit of the lotus tree
- eat from the lotus tree
In the Odyssey, sailors who tasted the fruit of the lotus tree forgot their homes.
The lotus tree is said to have grown on a distant shore where travelers lost all desire to leave.
Word forms
| plural | lotus trees |
|---|
Common combinations
- fruit of the lotus tree
- The fruit of the lotus tree made the sailors forget their journey home.
- mythical lotus tree
- The mythical lotus tree appears in stories about the Lotus-eaters.
- under the lotus tree
- They rested under the lotus tree and lost track of time.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lotus
- Often used alone in the same myth, but lotus can also mean a water lily or other plants.
Word family
- Lotus-eater noun
- In Greek myth, a person who ate the lotus fruit and forgot home.
- lotus noun
- A plant with large flowers, often linked to the myth.
Commonly confused: lotus tree or lotus?
lotus tree vs lotus
Lotus alone usually refers to a water lily or similar plant, while lotus tree specifically names the mythical tree.
Practice
In the Odyssey, the sailors who ate the fruit of the ______ forgot their homes.
Choose one answer.
The phrase refers to the mythical tree whose fruit caused forgetfulness, so “lotus tree” is correct. “Lotus” alone usually means a water lily, and “olive tree” and “laurel tree” are different plants not linked to this story.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lotus tree”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.