: 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
This 19-inch style packs a springtime punch with its dense collection of peach, yellow, and red tulips—more than 240 bright, plump blossoms which shoppers say neighbors (and even bees) mistake for real blooms.
—
Miles Walls, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Mar. 2025
The bulbs need several months in cold temperatures for them to grow tulips.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2025
The Dutch government has gifted a bale of tulip bulbs to the country annually since 1945, and the riot of color each spring grows rowdier every year.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 6 Mar. 2025
But the tulip bouquets are just that — premium tulips.
—Aimee Ortiz, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
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Miles Walls, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Mar. 2025
The bulbs need several months in cold temperatures for them to grow tulips.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2025
The Dutch government has gifted a bale of tulip bulbs to the country annually since 1945, and the riot of color each spring grows rowdier every year.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 6 Mar. 2025
But the tulip bouquets are just that — premium tulips.
—Aimee Ortiz, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tulip
Cite this Entry
“Tulip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tulip. Accessed 23 Mar. 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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