[lily] n, pl lil.ies [ME lilie, fr. OE, fr. L lilium] (bef. 12c) 1: any of a genus (Lilium of the family Liliaceae, the lily family) of erect perennial leafy-stemmed bulbous herbs that are native to the northern hemisphere and are widely cultivated for their showy flowers; broadly: any of various plants of the lily family or of the related amaryllis or iris families
2: any of various plants with showy flowers: as a: a scarlet anemone (Anemone coronaria) of the Mediterranean region b: water lily c: calla lily
3: fleur-de-lis
2.
[2]lily adj (ca. 1553): resembling a lily in fairness, purity, or fragility "my lady's ~ hand --John Keats"