amaryllis

noun

am·​a·​ryl·​lis ˌa-mə-ˈri-ləs How to pronounce amaryllis (audio)
1
: an autumn-flowering South African bulbous herb (Amaryllis belladonna of the family Amaryllidaceae, the amaryllis family) that is grown in gardens for its clusters of large, fragrant, usually white or pink flowers which resemble lilies and are borne on long, solid, leafless stems : belladonna lily
2
: any of various usually spring-flowering cultivars of a closely related chiefly South American bulbous herb (genus Hippeastrum) that are widely grown indoors in wintertime for their clusters of large, typically red, pink, salmon, or white, trumpet-shaped flowers which resemble lilies and are borne on long, hollow, leafless stems

Examples of amaryllis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Our potted poinsettias are probably way past their prime, but chances are, our amaryllises are still going strong. Grace Haynes, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2023 Big, Bold Amaryllis Poinsettias are everywhere during the holidays, but judging from Instagram tags, amaryllises may be more popular. Lynn Coulter, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Oct. 2023 Cyclamen, poinsettias, Christmas cactus, paperwhites and amaryllis are all good choices. Calvin Finch, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Dec. 2022 Poinsettias, holly, mistletoe, and amaryllis are popular holiday plants that can be fatal to cats and dogs if ingested. Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 7 Dec. 2022 White dove ornaments combine with amaryllis, carnations, and orchids on a Tannenbaum that's sprayed white. Anna Logan, Country Living, 3 Dec. 2022 African iris, Asiatic lilies, amaryllis, blood lilies, bulbine, crinum, daylilies, Louisiana iris, society garlic, spider lilies, rain lilies, refrigerated Dutch iris, tulips, daffodils and hyacinths for forcing. Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 1 Jan. 2022 Begin forcing amaryllis and paperwhite narcissus for indoor displays. Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Oct. 2022 This showy amaryllis will bring elegance to any decor. Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Aug. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'amaryllis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, genus name, probably from Latin, name of a shepherdess in Virgil's Eclogues

First Known Use

1754, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of amaryllis was in 1754

Dictionary Entries Near amaryllis

Cite this Entry

“Amaryllis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amaryllis. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

amaryllis

noun
am·​a·​ryl·​lis ˌam-ə-ˈril-əs How to pronounce amaryllis (audio)
: any of various plants of a group related to the lilies
especially : an African herb having a bulb and grown for its cluster of large showy flowers

More from Merriam-Webster on amaryllis

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!