amaryllis

noun

am·​a·​ryl·​lis ˌa-mə-ˈri-ləs 

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

In one grouping, big-leaf elephant ears, specimen begonias, and amaryllises (whose deep green foliage looks great even without flowers) mingle with outdoor plants like Hakone grass, coral bells, and ferns. —Mike Irvine, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Apr. 2025

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

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, genus name, from Latin Amaryllis, name of a shepherdess in pastoral poetry, taken from Greek Amaryllís, a shepherdess in the verse of Theocritus

First Known Use

1754, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for amaryllis

• haemophilus
• bacillus
• utilise
• hilus
• villous
• villus
• willis
• lactobacillus

Kids Definition

amaryllis

noun

am·​a·​ryl·​lis ˌam-ə-ˈril-əs 

: 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