tiger lily

noun

1. a lily, Lilium lancifolium (ortigrinum ), having dull-orange flowers spotted with black and small bulbs or bulbils in the axils of the leaves.

2. any lily, especially L. pardalinum, of similar coloration.

tiger lily

noun

1. a lily plant, Lilium tigrinum, of China and Japan, cultivated for its flowers, which have black-spotted orange reflexed petals

2. any of various similar lilies

Word History and Origins

Origin of tiger lily¹

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

Still, I’m grateful for any décor that occasions the following, immortally Williams exchange: “Where’s my tiger lily?”

From New York Times

In water-filled ceramic pots, plucked nasturtium leaves and tiger lilies are presented as floating elements in a way that elevates them both.

From Washington Post

It just put a daisy — and a peony and an iris and a tiger lily — in the gun barrel.

From New York Times

I think it had a tiger lily on it, but now it’s been reduced to crumbs in my fist.

From Literature

With the emphasis on authenticity, her job was as much about sourcing — imagine finding tiger lily buds and lime leaves in the 1960s! — as the recipes themselves.

From Washington Post