calla
Americannoun
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Also called arum lily. Also called calla lily;. any of several plants belonging to the genus Zantedeschia, of the arum family, especially Z. aethiopica, having arrow-shaped leaves and a large white spathe enclosing a yellow spike.
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a related plant, Calla palustris, of cold marshes of Europe and North America, having heart-shaped leaves.
noun
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Also called: calla lily. arum lily. any southern African plant of the aroid genus Zantedeschia, esp Z. aethiopica, which has a white funnel-shaped spathe enclosing a yellow spadix
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an aroid plant, Calla palustris, that grows in wet places and has a white spathe enclosing a greenish spadix, and red berries
Etymology
Origin of calla
From New Latin (Linnaeus)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The florist-by-trade gestures behind her to hundreds of flowers contained in buckets — blue thistles, ivory anemones and calla lilies painted silver — all twisted and unfurling into the air.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 2, 2026
It is like a big purple calla lily, but it smells horrible.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 10, 2023
A calla lily even sprouted from a patch of dirt everyone thought had gone barren.
From New York Times ● May 11, 2023
It looks like an oasis in the middle of the suburbs — it's the only house with massive hibiscus plants, dozens of calla lilies, and a cherry blossom tree.
From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2022
They all share his rich midnight coloring, and standing together they look like a bouquet of black calla lilies.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
