lily

¹ American  

[lil-ee] / ˈlɪl i /

noun

plural

lilies

1. any scaly-bulbed plant of the genus Lilium, having showy, funnel-shaped or bell-shaped flowers.

2. the flower or the bulb of such a plant.

3. any of various related or similar plants or their flowers, as the mariposa lily or the calla lily.

4. fleur-de-lis, especially as the symbol of France.

5. Bowling. a split in which the five, seven, and ten pins remain standing.

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adjective

1. white as a lily.

   her lily hands.

2. delicately fair.

   a lily maiden.

3. pure; unsullied.

   the lily truth.

4. pale; fragile; weak.

idioms

1. gild the lily. gild.

Lily ² American  

[lil-e] / ˈlɪl ɛ /

Or Lilly

noun

1. a female given name.

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lily British  

/ ˈlɪlɪ /

noun

1. any liliaceous perennial plant of the N temperate genus Lilium, such as the Turk's-cap lily and tiger lily, having scaly bulbs and showy typically pendulous flowers

2. the bulb or flower of any of these plants

3. any of various similar or related plants, such as the water lily, plantain lily, and day lily

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lily More Idioms  

1. see gild the lily.

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Other Word Forms

• lily-like adjective
• lilylike adjective

Etymology

Origin of lily

before 1000; Middle English, Old English lilie < Latin līlium; compare Greek leírion

Example Sentences

For Abriana Vicioso, the calla lily was her parents’ wedding flower — a symbol of her mother’s beauty.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

Tim got a tattoo on his right shoulder of a bow wrapped around a passenger jet, and Sheri and Lydia each got a tattoo of a lily.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

These include motifs of a horse and corgi, references to art and theatre to mark "her enduring support for culture", as well as some of her favourite flowers - roses and lily of the valley.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

When the ROV returns, there is an excited dash for the samples including seawater, sediment and a forearm-length sea lily coated with dripping orange goo.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

Lee Chong presented the great string of firecrackers and the China lily bulbs.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck