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Glite Dictionary
🌸 A water lily 😇 A fake innocent
white lotus

white lotus

7.7
A white water lily with fragrant flowers that grows in ponds
  • noun
translation icon : loto blanco
  • The ancient Egyptians revered the white lotus as a symbol of purity and rebirth.

Examples

  • Several white lotus flowers floated gracefully on the surface of the pond.

  • The white lotus blooms beautifully in the pond.

  • Researchers are studying the medicinal properties of the white lotus found along the Nile.

  • Look at the white lotus!

  • The ancient Egyptians revered the white lotus as a symbol of purity and rebirth.

  • Several white lotus flowers floated gracefully on the surface of the pond.

  • The white lotus blooms beautifully in the pond during the summer months.

Synonyms

Egyptian water lily
vswhite lotus
8.6

A white water lily that grows on water in Egypt and nearby regions, once sacred to the ancient Egyptians

uses the botanical Latin name rather than the common regional name
Nymphaea lotus
vswhite lotus
  • Specialized
9.9

A white water lily that grows in Egypt and parts of Africa and was sacred to ancient Egyptians

uses a plain common name rather than the botanical Latin name

Surface Forms

white lotus singular
white lotuses plural

Morphology

white + lotus

The words 'white' (pure/innocent) and 'lotus' (a flower often symbolizing purity) together transparently suggest innocence or purity, so a learner could infer a basic sense of purity. However, the specific slang sense — an ironic label for a privileged person who feigns innocence to manipulate or avoid responsibility — is a culturally specific, ironic extension that is not predictable from the constituents alone and often requires exposure to contemporary discourse.

Etymology

White lotus The noun white lotus names a water lily with white, sweet-smelling flowers that float on the water. Ancient Egyptians saw it as a sign of 'purity' and 'new life', so today the word refers to that sacred white water lily.