water lily

noun

: any of various aquatic plants (especially genera Nymphaea and Nuphar of the family Nymphaeaceae, the water-lily family) with floating leaves and usually showy flowers
broadly : an aquatic plant (such as a water hyacinth) with showy flowers

Examples of water lily in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Nature lovers will find an abundance of places to explore: Nearby McKee Botanical Garden brims with tropical plants (look for water lilies blooming in its streams), while Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge serves as a home for brown pelicans and other migrating avians. Kara Franker, Southern Living, 10 Jan. 2025 The starch grains originate from various plant sources, such as acorns, grass grains, water chestnuts, yellow water lily rhizomes (a type of underground plant stem) and legume seeds. Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025 By Jessica Fu Page A1 Risking His Own Extinction to Rescue the Rarest of Flowers Carlos Magdalena, whose botanical adventures have shades of Indiana Jones, was a driving force in saving the world’s smallest water lily and finding the largest one. Katie Rogers Ernesto Londoño Christina Jewett David E. Sanger, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2024 Flowing gently through the channels’ water lilies provides ample time for conversation with Indigenous groups. Alexandra Owens, AFAR Media, 10 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for water lily

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of water lily was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Water lily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/water%20lily. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

water lily

noun
: any of a family of water plants with rounded floating leaves and usually showy flowers

More from Merriam-Webster on water lily

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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