lily

1 of 2

noun

ˈli-lē 

plural lilies

1

: any of a genus (Lilium of the family Liliaceae, the lily family) of erect perennial leafy-stemmed bulbous herbs that are native to the temperate northern hemisphere and are widely cultivated for their showy flowers

broadly : any of various plants of the lily family or of the related amaryllis or iris families

2

: any of various plants with showy flowers: such as

a

: a scarlet anemone (Anemone coronaria) of the Mediterranean region

b

: water lily

c

: calla lily

3

: fleur-de-lis sense 2

lily-like adjective

or lilylike

ˈli-lē-ˌlīk 

lily

2 of 2

adjective

: resembling a lily in fairness, purity, or fragility

my lady's lily hand

—John Keats

Examples of lily in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Peace lilies can go through growth spurts in spring or summer, requiring more frequent watering. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2025

There are several California natives like Calochortus luteus (mariposa lily) and Dichelostemma congestum (ookow/snake lily) that bloom in the spring and require no summer water. —Alice Cason, Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2025

Adjective

Learn the reasons your peace lily plant has browning leaves, edges, or tips, and the solutions to fix them. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2025

At Maire Nui Gardens, frangipani and hibiscus spill over lava rock paths, and dragonflies skim lily ponds. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English lilie, from Old English, from Latin lilium

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing lily

• atamasco lily
• belladonna lily
• calla lily
• Easter lily
• fawn lily
• foxtail lily
• gild the lily
• jacobean lily
• lily-livered
• lily of the valley
• lily pad
• lily white
• Madonna lily
• mariposa lily
• plantain lily
• pond lily
• sand lily
• sea lily
• sego lily
• tiger lily
• trout lily
• water lily

Rhymes for lily

• billie
• billy
• chilli
• chilly
• dilly
• filly
• frilly
• gillie
• gilly
• hilly
• philly
• really

Kids Definition

lily

noun

ˈlil-ē

plural lilies

: any of a genus of herbs with leafy stems that grow from bulbs and have funnel-shaped flowers

also : any of various related plants