Lent lily
- noun
- UK
:
lirio de Cuaresma
- The Lent lily blooms in early spring, brightening gardens with its broad, white flowers.
Examples
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The Lent lily blooms in early spring, brightening the garden with its white flowers.
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She planted a Lent lily near the gate for a touch of Mediterranean beauty.
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Botanists studied the Lent lily to understand its adaptation to dry climates.
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The Lent lily blooms beautifully in spring.
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Many gardeners love the Lent lily for its fragrance.
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She planted a Lent lily near the gate to add Mediterranean charm to her garden.
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Botanists studied the Lent lily to learn more about its unique characteristics in dry environments.
Synonyms
A plant with large white funnel-shaped flowers and a strong sweet smell
A large white garden flower with wide trumpet-shaped blooms
A white lily from the eastern Mediterranean often shown in Christian art
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound combines the time-period noun 'Lent' with 'lily' to denote a lily associated with that period (e.g. one that blooms around or is linked to Lent). This time + noun composition is a common, transparent pattern cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the general meaning even if they don't know the specific botanical species.
Etymology
Lent lily is named because the white lily often flowers during Lent, the six weeks before 'Easter'. That's why the name points to the time of year when the plant blooms.
