amaryllis

noun

am·a·ryl·lis | \ ˌa-mə-ˈri-ləs

Definition of amaryllis

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 Bulbs: Achimenes, African iris, African-lily, amaryllis, blood lily, bulbine, caladium, canna, crinum, crocosmia, dahlia, daylily, eucharis lily, gingers, gladiolus, gloriosa lily, Louisiana iris, rain lily, tuberose and walking iris. — Tom Maccubbin, orlandosentinel.com, "March in the Garden," 27 Feb. 2021 Some exceptions would be amaryllis, paperwhites, daffodils and other narcissi. — Dan Gill, NOLA.com, "Garden tips from Dan Gill: Tidy up ground covers, plant potatoes and more," 13 Jan. 2021 On Labor Day, take amaryllis inside, lay pots on their sides, and let the plants go dormant by withholding water. — Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, "Beyond poinsettias, here are some suggestions for your Christmas plant collection," 24 Dec. 2020 As Bird picked up his violin to play, the Janus Horn began to spin, like an amaryllis sending out an alarm signal. — Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, "Andrew Bird’s Cozy Melancholy," 7 Dec. 2020 To explain plants that form bulbs, bulbs are storage organs that let the plants survive through difficult times such as extreme winters and, in the case of tropical amaryllis, through periods of drought. — Neil Sperry, ExpressNews.com, "Neil Sperry: Christmas cactus blooms closer to Thanksgiving," 3 Dec. 2020 These durable lilies with spider- to amaryllis-looking clusters of blooms in white, pink, red or maroon don’t seem to mind being transplanted. — Tom Maccubbin, orlandosentinel.com, "Divide crinum lily bulbs in late winter," 15 Aug. 2020 The huge, brilliant blooms of amaryllis certainly fit the bill. — Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, "The Perfect Houseplant for Your Zodiac Sign, According to an Astrologer," 13 May 2020 At Grumpy’s house, pots of gorgeous amaryllis blooms decorate the front steps. — Steve Bender, Southern Living, "Whip That Yard Into Shape," 23 Apr. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amaryllis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.