lily
noun
\ ˈli-lē
\
\
plural lilies
Definition of lily
(Entry 1 of 2)
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
lily
adjectiveDefinition of lily (Entry 2 of 2)
: resembling a lily in fairness, purity, or fragility
my lady's lily hand— John Keats
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Other Words from lily
Noun
lily-like
or lilylike \ ˈli-lē-ˌlīk
\
adjective
\
adjective
Examples of lily in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Elaborate bouquets of white roses, lilies, hydrangeas, and baby’s breath sent from all over the country lined the floor in front of him. — Zoe Greenberg, BostonGlobe.com, "Hundreds mourn slain BU student and family members in Atlanta," 28 Aug. 2019 White roses and lilies were replaced with bright pink, orange and red daisies. — Los Angeles Times, oregonlive.com, "Remembering Keyla, 13, the bullied girl with autism, gunned down at Gilroy Garlic Festival," 11 Aug. 2019 White roses and lilies were replaced with bright pink, orange and red daisies. — Los Angeles Times, "Mother watched as daughter gunned down in Gilroy: ‘She took my hand and looked up at the sky’," 6 Aug. 2019 By Saturday afternoon, the giglio structure was decorated in papier-mâché angels and lilies, and draped with an enormous rosary. — Derek M. Norman, New York Times, "A 72-Foot Spire and a 116-Year-Old Tradition in Need of a Few Brooklyn Hipsters," 11 July 2019 They reek of a tantalizingly nasty combination of potato, lily, garlic and armpit that engenders compulsive sniffing. — Eugenia Bone, WSJ, "‘The Truffle Underground’ Review: Malice and Mushrooms," 10 July 2019 Indeed, the generous spread of orange roses and white lilies stood out as a cheerful and beautiful remembrance from an extended family – the Cleveland Browns. — Phillip Morris, cleveland.com, "Some Cleveland Browns definitely go to heaven: Phillip Morris," 11 June 2019 Roses, lilies, and tulips are amount the most popular bouquets for Mother's Day on Teleflora, where bouquets range from $30 and up. — Jenae Sitzes, Country Living, "20 Best Mother's Day Flower Delivery Options," 1 May 2018 Mums, asters, toad lily (Tricyrtis spp.) and rudbeckias will soon be taking center stage, so attention to watering will help with their performance. — Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, Indianapolis Star, "The Hoosier Gardener: The sun is a blessing and a curse in the garden," 1 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
But for the more immediate future, the ability to compete in lily-white districts (presumably without sacrificing any basic progressive commitments) could definitely help Democrats win and maintain a House majority. — Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Lamb Win Could Point to Democratic Resurgence in Lily-white Districts," 14 Mar. 2018 While this year’s list of Golden Globes nominees isn’t as lily-white as, say, the Oscars typically are, the slate is still lacking inclusivity; out of 30 acting nominees in the film categories, just five are not white. — Yohana Desta, HWD, "Why Were Tiffany Haddish and Girls Trip Shut Out of the Golden Globes?," 11 Dec. 2017 Yams are a starchy edible root that is a relative of the lily family. — Terri Milligan, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Is it a yam or a sweet potato?," 24 Sep. 2017 But every happy family in the kitschy illustrations is lily-white, signaling a restrictive environment, even if it's not declared as such. — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Suburbicon': Film Review | Venice 2017," 2 Sep. 2017 The small, lily-white, conservative rural school into which Alexie transferred as a boy became his haven. — Laura Miller, Slate Magazine, "Sherman Alexie’s terrific book is the latest entry in a burgeoning genre: memoirs of moms.," 23 June 2017 The leaves resemble little lily pads popping up on stems like something out of Wonderland. — Kenneth Setzer, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Fairchild's Tropical Garden Column: What’s that weed? Meet marsh pennywort," 4 Aug. 2017 The recipe calls for millet and barley, as well as yam, lily root, and traces of Job's tears, a type of grass native to Southeast Asia. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Stanford Students Brew Beer from 5000-Year-Old Recipe," 8 Feb. 2017 Other plants that should work include creeping lily turf, pachysandra and yellow archangel. — Tim Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "What's the best grass, ground cover for shady lawns?," 5 June 2017These 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.
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More Definitions for lily
lily
noun
English Language Learners Definition of lily
: a type of plant that has large white or colorful bell-shaped flowers
also
: the flower
See the full definition for lily in the English Language Learners Dictionary
lily
noun
\ ˈli-lē
\
\
plural lilies
Kids Definition of lily
: a plant (as the
Easter lily
or the
tiger lily
) that grows from a bulb and has a leafy stem and showy funnel-shaped flowers
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