water lily

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noun

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.Compare water lily family.

any related plant of the genus Nuphar.

a plant of the water lily family.

the flower of any such plant.

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True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.

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Origin of water lily

First recorded in 1540–50

Words nearby water lily

waterleaf family, waterless, waterless cooker, water lettuce, water level, water lily, water lily family, water lily tulip, water line, waterlocked, water locust

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT WATER LILY

What does water lily mean?

A water lily is a freshwater plant with floating leaves (known as lily pads) and a solitary flower.

The flower itself is also often called a water lily. They are fragrant and can be white, pink, or yellow.

The water lily family (Nymphaeaceae) includes many different species that are referred to as water lilies. The similar lotus is a member of the water lily family.

Water lilies are commonly cultivated as ornamental plants in garden ponds.

The water lily is one of the July birth flowers (a flower that’s associated with a particular month in the same way as a birthstone).

Example: I read that having water lilies in the pond will attract frogs.

Where does water lily come from?

The first records of the name water lily come from the mid-1500s. It’s so-named because it’s an aquatic (water) plant and its flower resembles the lily (though water lilies do not belong to the lily family).

Water lilies are native to the tropics. Although they appear to be floating, they are rooted into the mud underneath the water. Water lilies are thought to provide several benefits to their native environments, including preventing the overproduction of algae.

Did you know … ?

What are some synonyms for water lily?

lily pad (when referring to the whole plant)

What are some words that share a root or word element with water lily?

water
lily

What are some words that often get used in discussing water lily?

How is water lily used in real life?

Water lilies are common in garden ponds as well as in the wild. They’re floating leaves are called lily pads, a term which can also be used to refer to the entire plant.

I got a gift from Mother Nature today. Three water lily blooms in my pond. They always surprise me. They pop up overnight. pic.twitter.com/W68rV1ftWZ

— edward 🌈 (@edw_luvs_books) May 5, 2021

The Water Lily is the birth flower for #July along with the Larkspur. It symbolises all that is good, true & beautiful, bringing good fortune & peace. Some of Monet’s Water Lily #paintings depicting his garden at Giverny from 1890s to 1926. pic.twitter.com/toOa0cAbqT

— Maude Frome (@frome_maude) July 14, 2020

So far my new pond has gifted me with a resident tree frog (who is eeping as I type this), dragonflies mating and laying eggs, and this Water Lily flower. I am now a pond evangelist. pic.twitter.com/ZUsLPYWKJt

— Get To Know Nature (@GetToKnowNature) July 3, 2019

Try using water lily!

True or False?

Water lilies just float in the water without being rooted down.

How to use water lily in a sentence

Fluoride first entered an American water supply through a rather inelegant technocratic scheme.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
When cities started adding chlorine to their water supplies, in the early 1900s, it set off public outcry.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
Before anti-vaxxers, there were anti-fluoriders: a group who spread fear about the anti-tooth decay agent added to drinking water.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
Placed in drinking water, fluoride can serve people who otherwise have poor access to dental care.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST

In secret, before the referendum, the council went ahead and fluoridated the water anyway.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
Urbanity ushers in water that needs no apology, and gives a zest to the worst vintage.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
The two women had no intention of bathing; they had just strolled down to the beach for a walk and to be alone and near the water.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
Mrs. Woodbury paints in oils and water-colors; the latter are genre scenes, and among them are several Dutch subjects.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
But there was a breeze blowing, a choppy, stiff wind that whipped the water into froth.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
She threw out her arms as if swimming when she walked, beating the tall grass as one strikes out in the water.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

British Dictionary definitions for water lily

water lily

noun

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

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

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