water lily

American  

noun

1. any of various aquatic plants of the genus Nymphaea, species of which have large, disklike, floating leaves and showy flowers, especially N. odorata, of America, or N. alba, of Europe.

2. any related plant of the genus Nuphar.

3. a plant of the water lily family.

4. the flower of any such plant.

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water lily British  

noun

1. any of various aquatic plants of the genus Nymphaea and related genera, of temperate and tropical regions, having large leaves and showy flowers that float on the surface of the water: family Nymphaeaceae

2. any of various similar and related plants, such as the yellow water lily

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Etymology

Origin of water lily

First recorded in 1540–50

Example Sentences

The mothers spend the days foraging for fruit, nuts, and water lily seeds, while children splash in the river's murky waters.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

Since 2008, he had been the director of the Claude Monet Foundation in Giverny, where Monet’s water lily paintings were produced.

From New York Times • Dec. 5, 2024

While down in those murky depths he was harvesting the seeds of a type of water lily called euryale ferox.

From BBC • Aug. 12, 2024

The most iconic aquatic plant associated with the ancient Maya is the water lily, Nymphaea ampla, which thrives only in clean water, Lucero said.

From Science Daily • Oct. 9, 2023

For these things —bark of hemlock, root of water lily, leaf of crane’s bill —had medicinal value.

From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry