plantain lily

American

noun

any Japanese or Chinese plant of the genus Hosta, of the lily family, having large leaves and spikes or one-sided clusters of white, lilac, or blue flowers.

plantain lily British

noun

Also called: day lily. any of several Asian plants of the liliaceous genus Hosta, having broad ribbed leaves and clusters of white, blue, or lilac flowers

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of plantain lily

First recorded in 1880–85

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.

Hummingbirds slid their noses into plantain lily hostas and delicate stems of purpletop vervain.

From Washington Post

The hosta is in the lily family and has the common name of Plantain Lily.

From Seattle Times

Funkia—Plantain Lily—Broad-leaf Day Lily I consider F. subcordata grandiflora the best of this group.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023