an amaryllidaceous plant, Amaryllis belladonna, native to southern Africa and having large lily-like reddish or white flowers
2.
any of several related plants, esp hippeastrum
Word origin
C18: from New Latin, from Latin: named after Amaryllis
Amaryllis in British English
(ˌæməˈrɪlɪs)
noun
(in pastoral poetry) a name for a shepherdess or country girl
amaryllis in American English
(ˌæməˈrɪlɪs)
noun
any of several plants (esp. genus Hippeastrum) of the lily family bearing several white, purple, pink, or red flowers on a leafless stem, including the belladonna lily
Word origin
< L & Gr Amaryllis, a shepherdess' name in poems by Virgil and Theocritus
Examples of 'amaryllis' in a sentence
amaryllis
An amaryllis bloomed; four red trumpets, heavy on a hollow stalk, were tied with a string to a sturdy switch.