name
Buddha
BUU-duh
name
1
Siddhartha Gautama, the Indian teacher and philosopher whose teachings founded Buddhism.
"The Buddha is said to have reached enlightenment while meditating under a fig tree."
noun
1
A statue or image representing the Buddha.
"A small stone buddha sat on the shelf beside the incense holder."
2
Loosely, anyone regarded as having reached a similarly enlightened or deeply calm state.
"Nothing seemed to rattle him — his coworkers joked he was basically a buddha."
How to Use Buddha
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishRefers either to the historical founder of Buddhism or, more loosely, to statues of him or to a very calm, wise person.
Word Forms
Buddhas plural
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The _____ is said to have reached enlightenment while meditating under a fig tree.
Etymology
From Pali/Sanskrit "buddha," meaning "awakened" or "enlightened," the past participle of a verb meaning "to wake up."