American lotus
- noun
- /əˈmɛrɪkən ˈloʊtəs/
- US
:
loto americano
- The American lotus blooms beautifully in the summer.
Examples
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Many people harvest the seeds of the American lotus for food.
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Large leaves and striking yellow blossoms make the American lotus easily recognizable in wetlands.
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The American lotus can be found growing in shallow ponds and lakes throughout the Midwest.
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Many gardeners love the American lotus for its striking flowers.
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The American lotus is often found in shallow waters, where its beautiful pale yellow flowers bloom.
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At the lake, we observed the American lotus growing alongside other water plants.
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The seeds of the American lotus are edible and are enjoyed by both animals and humans.
Synonyms
A water plant with pale yellow flowers and edible seeds that grows in ponds in eastern North America
A water lily with pale yellow flowers and round edible seeds that grows in shallow ponds
A water lily with pale yellow flowers that grows in ponds and has edible seeds
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase 'American lotus' is a straightforward adjective + noun compound: 'American' indicates geographic origin and 'lotus' names the water plant, so the overall meaning (a lotus native to America) is directly derivable from the parts. This follows common cross-linguistic naming patterns for species and would be immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
American lotus is a name that points to the lotus plant found in America. The word lotus was long used to mean a 'water plant' with big round leaves and edible seeds, so the name shows it is the lotus native to North America with those seeds and bright yellow flowers.
