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

No bags of mulch or stacks of containers; instead, this small, 4-acre nursery is all about unusual plants, including an impressive selection of lilies, hostas, and East Asian woodland species. —Teresa Woodard, Midwest Living, 10 Apr. 2026

Idaho Fish & Game added that camas lily blossoms usually start in May and peak mid-June. —Bruce Whiting, Idaho Statesman, 7 Apr. 2026

Adjective

Specialty areas include a Japanese dry garden, ravine garden, herb and sensory garden, wetlands, hosta collection, rock garden, and lily pond. —Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 9 Apr. 2026

The lily pond at Wash Park in Denver. —Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026

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