Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Lotus \Lo"tus\, n. [L. lotus, Gr. ?. Cf. {Lote}.]
   1. (Bot.)
      (a) A name of several kinds of water lilies; as {Nelumbium
          speciosum}, used in religious ceremonies, anciently in
          Egypt, and to this day in Asia; {Nelumbium luteum},
          the American lotus; and {Nymph[ae]a Lotus} and {N.
          c[ae]rulea}, the respectively white-flowered and
          blue-flowered lotus of modern Egypt, which, with
          {Nelumbium speciosum}, are figured on its ancient
          monuments.
      (b) The lotus of the lotuseaters, probably a tree found in
          Northern Africa, Sicily, Portugal, and Spain
          ({Zizyphus Lotus}), the fruit of which is mildly
          sweet. It was fabled by the ancients to make strangers
          who ate of it forget their native country, or lose all
          desire to return to it.
      (c) The lote, or nettle tree. See {Lote}.
      (d) A genus ({Lotus}) of leguminous plants much resembling
          clover. [Written also {lotos}.]

   {European lotus}, a small tree ({Diospyros Lotus}) of
      Southern Europe and Asia; also, its rather large bluish
      black berry, which is called also the {date plum}.

Lotus \Lo"tus\, n. [L. lotus, Gr. ?. Cf. {Lote}.]
   1. (Bot.)
      (a) A name of several kinds of water lilies; as {Nelumbium
          speciosum}, used in religious ceremonies, anciently in
          Egypt, and to this day in Asia; {Nelumbium luteum},
          the American lotus; and {Nymph[ae]a Lotus} and {N.
          c[ae]rulea}, the respectively white-flowered and
          blue-flowered lotus of modern Egypt, which, with
          {Nelumbium speciosum}, are figured on its ancient
          monuments.
      (b) The lotus of the lotuseaters, probably a tree found in
          Northern Africa, Sicily, Portugal, and Spain
          ({Zizyphus Lotus}), the fruit of which is mildly
          sweet. It was fabled by the ancients to make strangers
          who ate of it forget their native country, or lose all
          desire to return to it.
      (c) The lote, or nettle tree. See {Lote}.
      (d) A genus ({Lotus}) of leguminous plants much resembling
          clover. [Written also {lotos}.]

   {European lotus}, a small tree ({Diospyros Lotus}) of
      Southern Europe and Asia; also, its rather large bluish
      black berry, which is called also the {date plum}.



   {Society of the Sacred Heart} (R.C. Ch.), a religious order
      of women, founded in France in 1800, and approved in 1826.
      It was introduced into America in 1817. The members of the
      order devote themselves to the higher branches of female
      education.

   {Sacred baboon}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Hamadryas}.

   {Sacred bean} (Bot.), a seed of the Oriental lotus ({Nelumbo
      speciosa} or {Nelumbium speciosum}), a plant resembling a
      water lily; also, the plant itself. See {Lotus}.

   {Sacred beetle} (Zo["o]l.) See {Scarab}.

   {Sacred canon}. See {Canon}, n., 3.

   {Sacred fish} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of
      fresh-water African fishes of the family {Mormyrid[ae]}.
      Several large species inhabit the Nile and were considered
      sacred by the ancient Egyptians; especially {Mormyrus
      oxyrhynchus}.

   {Sacred ibis}. See {Ibis}.

   {Sacred monkey}. (Zo["o]l.)
      (a) Any Asiatic monkey of the genus {Semnopithecus},
          regarded as sacred by the Hindoos; especially, the
          entellus. See {Entellus}.
      (b) The sacred baboon. See {Hamadryas}.
      (c) The bhunder, or rhesus monkey.

   {Sacred place} (Civil Law), the place where a deceased person
      is buried.

   Syn: Holy; divine; hallowed; consecrated; dedicated; devoted;
        religious; venerable; reverend. -- {Sa"cred*ly}, adv. --
        {Sa"cred*ness}, n.

Egyptian \E*gyp"tian\, a. [L. Aegyptius, Gr. ?, fr. ? (L.
   Aegyptus) Egypt: cf. F. ['e]gyptien. Cf. {Gypsy}.]
   Pertaining to Egypt, in Africa.

   {Egyptian bean}. (Bot.)
   (a) The beanlike fruit of an aquatic plant ({Nelumbium
       speciosum}), somewhat resembling the water lily.
   (b) See under {Bean}, 1.

   {Egyptian cross}. See Illust. (No. 6) of {Cross}.

   {Egyptian thorn} (Bot.), a medium-sized tree ({Acacia vera}).
      It is one of the chief sources of the best gum arabic.