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Definition of water lily

water lily

Plural:water lilies
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water lily Lexical Profile

• noun

1

A freshwater aquatic plant of the family Nymphaeaceae, characterized by large, flat, floating leaves and showy, often fragrant flowers.

Example

"The botanical garden featured a tranquil pond completely covered in blooming pink water lilies."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for water lily

Word Nuance & Usage

Although frequently confused with the lotus, true water lilies (family Nymphaeaceae) generally have leaves and flowers that float directly on the water's surface, rather than rising prominently above it.

• Nearby Words

water dragon
water hyacinth
water lettuce
water lily
water moccasin
water monitor
water plantain

Word Origin & Etymology

An English compound of 'water' and 'lily', used since the 16th century to describe these aquatic plants, though they are completely unrelated to true lilies (Lilium).

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Water lily. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 15, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/water lily
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