lily

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Any of various plants of the genus Lilium, having variously colored, often trumpet-shaped flowers.
2. n. Any of various similar or related plants, such as the day lily or the water lily.
3. n. The flower of any of these plants.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A plant of the genus Lilium, or its flower. In the four native species of the eastern United States the perianth is colored from yellow to scarlet, with purple or brown spots on the inside. They are: the wild orange-red lily, L. Philadelphicum, with flowers erect and sepals not recurved, common in sandy soil; the Southern red lily, L. Catesbæi, with solitary erect flowers and recurved sepals; L. Canadense, with several nodding flowers and the sepals recurved, common in the north; and the American Turk's-cap or swamp-lily, L. superbum, with a pyramidal panicle, often with 20 or sometimes even 40 blossoms, found on low grounds at the north. Among the eight species of the Pacific slope are the Washington lily, L. Washingtonianum, often with as many as 20 large and fragrant white flowers, becoming purplish, in a thyrsoid raceme; the panther-lily, L. pardalinum; and Humboldt's lily, L. Humboldtii. Among European species are the Martagon lily, L. Martagon, found wild in Europe and in Siberia, and cultivated from time immemorial, the varieties differing in color; the bulb-bearing lily, L. bulbiferum, with orange-red flowers and bulblets in the axils of the upper leaves, a plant of the region of the Alps, long known to gardeners; and the white or Madonna lily, L. candidum, also called annunciation lily, found wild in the northern Mediterranean countries. Among the fine Asiatic lilies are the lance-leafed or spear-leafed lily, L. speciosum (lancifolium), from Corea and Japan, with white flowers more or less suffused or spotted with pink, and with the lower part of the sepals covered with papillæ; the giant lily, L. giganteum, the largest of the genus, from the Himalayan region; and the tiger-lily, L. tigrinum, so called from its spots, a plant introduced from China and known everywhere. There are many other less-known lilies.
2. n. Any one of many plants resembling the lily.
3. n. The end of a compass which points to the north: so called from being frequently ornamented with a lily or fleur-de-lis.
4. Resembling a white lily, especially in purity; pure; unsullied.
5. n. The marsh-marigold.
6. n. Lilium candidum, the white or annunciation lily: originally from the Mediterranean region, but long in cultivation.
7. n. The daffodil.
8. n. The atamasco lily, Atamosco Atamasco.
9. n. In Australia, same as spear-lily.
10. n. Same as gunebo lily.

Wiktionary

1. n. Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species.
2. n. Any of several species of herbaceous flower which may or may not resemble the genus Lilium in some way, and which are not closely related to it or each other.
3. n. The end of a compass needle that should point north, traditionally often ornamented with the figure of a lily or fleur-de-lis.
4. adj. slang, derogatory White (as a racial epithet).

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Bot.) A plant and flower of the genus Lilium, endogenous bulbous plants, having a regular perianth of six colored pieces, six stamens, and a superior three-celled ovary.
2. n. (Bot.) A name given to handsome flowering plants of several genera, having some resemblance in color or form to a true lily, as Pancratium, Crinum, Amaryllis, Nerine, etc.
3. n. That end of a compass needle which should point to the north; -- so called as often ornamented with the figure of a lily or fleur-de-lis.
4. n. (Auction Bridge) A royal spade; -- usually in pl. See Royal spade, below.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. any liliaceous plant of the genus Lilium having showy pendulous flowers