English Explanatory Dictionary

lily

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species.
  2. Any of several species of herbaceous flower which may or may not resemble the genus Lilium in some way, and which are not closely related to it or each other.
  3. The flower used as a heraldic charge; also commonly used to describe the fleur-de-lis.
  4. The end of a compass needle that should point north, traditionally often ornamented with the figure of a lily or fleur-de-lis.
  5. A royal spade in auction bridge.
  6. The thirtieth Lenormand card, representing calmness and maturity.
adj
  1. White (as a racial epithet).
name
  1. A female given name from English, popular around 1900 and currently returning to favor.

Pronunciation

/ˈlɪli/ en-us-lily.ogg

Word forms

lily lilies lilly

Etymology

From Middle English lilie, from Old English lilie, from Latin līlia, plural of līlium, from Ancient Greek λείριον (leírion). See there for more.

Related words

Lillie

Derived words

adobe lily African lily Amazon lily annunciation lily arum lily Atamasco lily Atamosco lily avalanche lily Aztec lily Barbados lily bead lily belladonna lily Benguet lily Bermuda lily blackberry lily blood lily Bolander's lily Brisbane lily bullhead lily bush lily butterfly lily calla lily Canada lily candelabra lily Catesby's lily Christmas lily cobra lily cow lily Darling lily day lily daylily desert lily Easter lily Egyptian water-lily fairy lily false lily of the valley fawn lily feathery false lily of the valley fire lily flame lily fragrant water lily gild the lily ginger lily glacier lily glory lily goldband lily Guernsey lily holly-lily Humboldt's lily hurricane lily Ifafa lily impala lily Inca lily Jacobean lily Jersey lily Josephine's lily kaffir lily lemon lily Lenten lily Lent lily
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