narcissus

noun

nar·​cis·​sus när-ˈsi-səs 

1

capitalized : a beautiful youth in Greek mythology who pines away for love of his own reflection and is then turned into the narcissus flower

2

plural narcissi när-ˈsi-ˌsī 

-(ˌ)sē

or narcissuses or narcissus : daffodil

especially : one whose flowers have a short corona and are usually borne separately

Examples of narcissus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Amazon lilies have year-round green foliage and narcissus like blooms for the winter months. —Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2025

The bulbs — which include tulips, narcissus, hyacinths and irises — are usually covered by other crops that winter visitors can view. —Tasha Tsiaperas, Axios, 19 Dec. 2024

Instead of blooming into narcissus flowers after drowning, for me roses sprouted from that death. —Jim Ruland, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2024

On the west wall, a reclaimed bakery shelf holds ceramic pots and wooden bowls of snowdrop and narcissus bulbs. —Aimee Farrell Emli Bendixen, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek Nárkissos, probably so named after the flower; (sense 2) borrowed from New Latin, genus name, going back to Latin, "plant of the genus Narcissus," borrowed from Greek nárkissos, of pre-Greek substratal origin

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for narcissus

• abscissas
• symphysis
• adenohypophysis
• apophysis
• diaphysis
• dionysus
• epiphysis
• hemolysis
• hypophysis
• metaphysis
• diaphoresis
• electrophoresis

Kids Definition

narcissus

noun

nar·​cis·​sus när-ˈsis-əs 

plural narcissi -ˈsis-ˌī 

-ē

or narcissuses or narcissus

: daffodil

especially : one whose flowers have a short tube and grow separately on the stalk