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lily
lily common name for the Liliaceae, a plant family numbering several thousand species of as many as 300 genera, widely distributed over the earth and particularly abundant in warm temperate and tropical regions. Most species are perennial herbs characterized by bulbs (or other forms of enlarged underground stem) from which grow erect clusters of narrow, grasslike leaves or leafy stems. A few are woody and some are small trees.
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"lily." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "lily." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-lily.html "lily." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-lily.html |
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lily
lily a white lily stands for purity, and is especially associated with the Virgin Mary (in representations of the Annunciation, Gabriel is often shown holding a lily). A lily is the emblem of St Anthony of Padua, St Catherine of Siena, and St Dominic.
In heraldry, the lilies of the fleur-de-lis, or golden lilies, represent France, and especially the royal arms of the former French monarchy. An orange lily is an emblem of the Orange Order. lilies of the field in biblical translations, any of a number of conspicuous Palestinian flowers, variously identified as a lily, tulip, anemone, and gladiolus. In Matthew 6:28, they are taken as a type of natural beauty not earned by human effort (‘they toil not, neither do they spin’), but which is unexampled (‘Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these’). lily of the valley in the Bible, used to translate the Vulgate's lilium convallium (Song of Solomon), an unidentified plant. See also gild the lily, Lent lily. |
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "lily." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "lily." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-lily.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "lily." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-lily.html |
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lily
lil·y / ˈlilē/ • n. 1. a widely cultivated bulbous plant (genus Lilium) with large trumpet-shaped, typically fragrant, flowers on a tall, slender stem. The lily family (Liliaceae) includes many flowering bulbs, such as bluebells, hyacinths, and tulips. Several plants are often placed in different families, esp. Alliaceae (onions and their relatives), Aloaceae (aloes), and Amaryllidaceae (amaryllis, daffodils, jonquil). ∎ short for water lily. ∎ used in names of other plants with similar flowers or leaves, e.g., arum lily. 2. a heraldic fleur-de-lis. DERIVATIVES: lil·ied / ˈlilēd/ adj. |
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"lily." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "lily." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-lily.html "lily." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-lily.html |
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Lily
Lily ♀ From the vocabulary word for the flower (via Old French, from Latin lilium), regarded in Christian imagery as a symbol of purity. In recent times, it has become a popular component of compound names such as Lily-Anne, Lily-May, Lily-Rose, and Tigerlily.
Variants: Lillie (borne, for example, by the actress Lillie Langtry, 1853–1929), Lilly, Lili, Lilli. |
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PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Lily." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Lily." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Lily.html PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Lily." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Lily.html |
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lily
lily Any of numerous species of perennial, bulb-producing plants of the genus Lilium, from temperate and subtropical regions. They have erect stems and various leaf arrangements. The showy flowers may be almost any colour.
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"lily." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "lily." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-lily.html "lily." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-lily.html |
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lily
lily OE. lilie (weak fem.) — L. līlium; of alien orig. (cf. Gr. leírion).
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T. F. HOAD. "lily." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "lily." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-lily.html T. F. HOAD. "lily." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-lily.html |
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lily
lily See LILIUM.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "lily." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "lily." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-lily.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "lily." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-lily.html |
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lily
lily •Billie, billy, Chile, chilli (US chili), chilly, Dili, dilly, filly, frilly, ghillie, gillie, Gilly, hilly, Lillee, lily, Lyly, papillae, Philly, Piccadilly, piccalilli, silly, skilly, stilly, Tilly, willy, willy-nilly
•Ridley, tiddly
•Brindley, spindly
•sniffly
•giggly, niggly
•jingly, shingly, Zwingli
•prickly, sickly
•crinkly, tinkly, twinkly, wrinkly
•dimly
•Finlay, inly, McKinlay
•musicianly
•kingly, tingly
•Shipley • pimply
•bristly, gristly
•princely • fitly
•drizzly, grisly, grizzly, Sisley
•Kingsley • Cybele • hillbilly • jubilee
•rockabilly • bodily
•bibliophily, cartophily, toxophily
•Galilee • family • stepfamily
•subfamily
•Emily, Semele
•facsimile, simile
•homily • contumely
•cicely, Sicily
•icily • volatile • Maithili • weevily
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"lily." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "lily." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-lily.html "lily." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-lily.html |
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