: any of a genus (Tulipa) of Eurasian bulbous herbs of the lily family that have linear or broadly lanceolate leaves and are widely grown for their showy flowers
also
: the flower or bulb of a tulip
Examples of tulip in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The tulip sleeves add balance to this versatile piece that can be worn as day and evening wear.
—
Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2025
Like tulip bulbs, snowdrop bulbs planted in spring may sprout, but likely won’t bloom.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Jan. 2025
Get your cameras ready: City Park staffers started planting 10,000 tulip bulbs yesterday.
—Chelsea Brasted, Axios, 9 Jan. 2025
On the drive home through the dark that night, Eliza saw in her mind’s eye thick rows of tulips in color blocks stretching to the horizon, like a modern painting, a bony figure on a bicycle cutting through them, a windmill in the distance.
—Lauren Groff, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2024
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Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2025
Like tulip bulbs, snowdrop bulbs planted in spring may sprout, but likely won’t bloom.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Jan. 2025
Get your cameras ready: City Park staffers started planting 10,000 tulip bulbs yesterday.
—Chelsea Brasted, Axios, 9 Jan. 2025
On the drive home through the dark that night, Eliza saw in her mind’s eye thick rows of tulips in color blocks stretching to the horizon, like a modern painting, a bony figure on a bicycle cutting through them, a windmill in the distance.
—Lauren Groff, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tulip
Dictionary Entries Near tulip
Cite this Entry
“Tulip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tulip. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tulip
noun
tu·lip
ˈt(y)ü-ləp 
: any of a genus of Eurasian herbs that grow from bulbs, have large lance-shaped leaves, are related to the lilies, and are widely grown for their showy cup-shaped flowers
also
: the flower or bulb of a tulip
Etymology
from scientific Latin tulipa "the tulip," from Turkish tülbent "tulip," literally "turban"
Word Origin
We often think of the tulip as a Dutch flower. The Dutch certainly do grow many tulips, but they first got the plant from Turkey. The Turkish word for the tulip was tülbent, meaning literally "turban." Perhaps it was the flower's shape that reminded the Turks of a turban. Or perhaps it was the bright colors and velvety petals. In any case, scientists picking a universal word for the flower chose the scientific Latin tulipa, taken from the Turkish word. The word came into English from the scientific Latin and was spelled tulip.
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