lily

noun \ ˈli-lē \

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

Definition of lily

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 2

—

lily-like

or lilylike play \ˈli-lē-ˌlīk\ adjective

See lily defined for English-language learners

See lily defined for kids

Recent Examples of lily from the Web

Plant declining Easter and Asiatic lilies in the sunny garden. 53.

— tom maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "June in the garden," 26 May 2018
Meghan changed into a second dress for the occasion, a stunning, bespoke lily white high-neck Stella McCartney gown.

— kayleigh roberts, Marie Claire, "Someone Ordered a Cart Full of Pizzas to the Royal Wedding Reception," 20 May 2018
Waiters bring bowls set with chunks of crab, lily buds, wood ear mushrooms and nasturtium flowers and leaves, then pour on a rich, dark fumet bolstered with white peppercorn and black vinegar.

— michael bauer, San Francisco Chronicle, "Mister Jiu’s fulfills its vision with 3½ stars," 11 Apr. 2018
Many modern varieties have little fragrance, but old-fashioned white or purple vining types release a strong lily-like fragrance at dusk; 1 by 1–3 feet.

— the editors of organic life, Good Housekeeping, "The 60 Most Fragrant Flowers Across The World," 11 May 2017
The problem says that the patch DOUBLES in size every day, which means that on any day, the lily patch was half the size the day before.

— noelle devoe, Seventeen, "5 Grade School Math Problems That Are So Hard, You'll Wonder How You Ever Made it To High School," 24 June 2015
After the service, her casket, adorned with pink and yellow roses and lilies, was taken to the cemetery for a private burial.

— lomi kriel, Houston Chronicle, "Santa Fe teacher Cynthia Tisdale remembered as a lifelong caretaker," 25 May 2018
The grounds of the Old U.S. Mint now hold Louisiana irises, carnivorous pitcher plants, pickerel weed, spider lily, aquatic milkweed, swamp goldenrod and swamp Sunflowers, all in a large sugar kettle.

— kendra parks, NOLA.com, "Master gardeners celebrate the tricentennial and bring native plants back to New Orleans," 24 May 2018
Connolly was keen to avoid traditional wedding blooms like lilies and roses, which were out of season in the UK at the time of April 29, 2011.

— tamara abraham, Harper's BAZAAR, "Meghan Markle's Royal Wedding Bouquet Is Surprisingly Similar to Kate's," 19 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lily.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.