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water lily
noun
: any of various aquatic plants (especially genera Nymphaea and Nuphar of the family Nymphaeaceae, the water-lily family) with floating leaves and usually showy flowers
broadly
: an aquatic plant (such as a water hyacinth) with showy flowers
Examples of water lily in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The exhibit’s giant and colorful hybrid animal sculptures provide new vistas for garden regulars who have seen the tulips and water lilies a hundred times over and yearn for something fresh.
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Ray Mark Rinaldi, The Denver Post, 3 June 2024
This included the lotus pond and the water lily pond.
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Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 25 May 2024
Riders will be transported to the magical land of the bayou, complete with flowing Spanish moss and water lilies.
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Carly Caramanna, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2024
Throughout the artist’s career, Giverny and its surrounding landscapes served as the setting for many of his most iconic pieces, eventually inspiring his famous water lily works.
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Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2024
One in five children here are severely malnourished, with mothers forced to feed them water lilies, which grow in the flood waters, to keep their bellies full.
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Esther Castillejo, ABC News, 19 Apr. 2023
Small brown water lily beetles cause holes in water lily leaves.
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Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2024
Nature lovers will find an abundance of places to explore: Nearby McKee Botanical Garden brims with tropical plants (look for water lilies blooming in its streams), while Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge serves as a home for brown pelicans and other migrating avians.
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Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 16 Jan. 2024
Allport himself introduced English species such as tench, perch, and water lilies to Tasmania, and published 15 papers with the RST.
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Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 29 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'water lily.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of water lily was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near water lily
Cite this Entry
“Water lily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/water%20lily. Accessed 18 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
water lily
noun
: any of a family of water plants with rounded floating leaves and usually showy flowers
More from Merriam-Webster on water lily
Nglish: Translation of water lily for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about water lily
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