water lily

(redirected from Water-lily)
Also found in: Thesaurus, Encyclopedia.

water lily

or wa·ter·lil·y (wô′tər-lĭl′ē, wŏt′ər-)

Any of various ornamental aquatic plants of the family Nymphaeaceae and especially of the genera Nymphaea and Nuphar, having large floating leaves and showy, variously colored flowers. Also called pond lily.

water lily

1. (Plants) 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. (Plants) any of various similar and related plants, such as the yellow water lily

wa′ter lil′y

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

2. any related plant of the genus Nuphar.

[1540–1550]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun

water lily - an aquatic plant of the family Nymphaeaceae

family Nymphaeaceae, Nymphaeaceae, water-lily family - dicot aquatic plants

fragrant water lily, Nymphaea odorata, pond lily, water nymph - a water lily having large leaves and showy fragrant flowers that float on the water; of temperate and tropical regions

European white lily, Nymphaea alba - a water lily with white flowers

Egyptian water lily, Nymphaea lotus, white lotus, white lily, lotus - white Egyptian lotus: water lily of Egypt to southeastern Africa; held sacred by the Egyptians

Nymphaea caerulea, blue lotus - blue Egyptian lotus: held sacred by the Egyptians

blue lotus, Nymphaea stellata - blue lotus of India and southeastern Asia

cow lily, Nuphar advena, spatterdock, yellow pond lily - common water lily of eastern and central North America, having broad leaves and globe-shaped yellow flowers; in sluggish fresh or slightly brackish water

Nuphar sagittifolium, southern spatterdock - of flowing waters of the southeastern United States; may form obstructive mats in streams

Nuphar lutea, yellow water lily - a water lily with yellow flowers

Indian lotus, lotus, Nelumbo nucifera, sacred lotus - native to eastern Asia; widely cultivated for its large pink or white flowers

American lotus, Nelumbo lutea, water chinquapin, yanquapin - water lily of eastern North America having pale yellow blossoms and edible globular nutlike seeds

Cabomba caroliniana, fanwort, water-shield - common aquatic plant of eastern North America having floating and submerged leaves and white yellow-spotted flowers

Brasenia schreberi, water-shield, water-target - aquatic plant with floating oval leaves and purple flowers; in lakes and slow-moving streams; suitable for aquariums

aquatic plant, hydrophyte, hydrophytic plant, water plant - a plant that grows partly or wholly in water whether rooted in the mud, as a lotus, or floating without anchorage, as the water hyacinth

lily pad - floating leaves of a water lily

Translations

nénufar

ninfea

water lily

n → ninfea

References in classic literature ?

As for Rosamond, she was in the water-lily's expanding wonderment at its own fuller life, and she too was spinning industriously at the mutual web.

View in context

As for Hetty, her feet rested on a cloud, and she was borne along by warm zephyrs; she had forgotten her rose-coloured ribbons; she was no more conscious of her limbs than if her childish soul had passed into a water-lily, resting on a liquid bed and warmed by the midsummer sun-beams.

View in context

It was a little sheet of marshy water, surrounded by reeds, on which floated some dead water-lily leaves.

View in context

We will put her at once on a broad water-lily leaf in the stream.

View in context

I have stated that fresh-water fish eat some kinds of seeds, though they reject many other kinds after having swallowed them; even small fish swallow seeds of moderate size, as of the yellow water-lily and Potamogeton.

View in context

Ananda, sneakers partly made of water-lily 'leather

Students turn water-lily parts into profitable product: shoes

Turner is increasingly fascinated by the essence of light and you understand why he was called the first impressionist, five of Monet's beautiful series of water-lily paintings are there but their story is not as pretty as the pictures.

Twombly just leaves me Cy-ing in despair

The exhibition explores the water-lily triptych's genesis, evolution, and history, including Monet's revisions and original plans for its installation and in the context of his preliminary studies and the large-scale works he conceived, and new archival and technical research on one of the panels.