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Glite Dictionary
belladonna lily

belladonna lily

8.3
A South African plant with large sweet-smelling white or pink flowers
  • noun
  • /ˌbɛləˈdɑnə ˈlɪli/
  • South African
translation icon : lirio belladona
  • After a week in the vase, the belladonna lily still filled the room with its sweet fragrance.

Examples

  • She planted a row of belladonna lily bulbs along the walkway last spring.

  • The belladonna lily blooms in late summer, adding a splash of color to the garden.

  • The belladonna lily blooms beautifully in spring.

  • Have you seen a belladonna lily in bloom?

  • After a week in the vase, the belladonna lily still filled the room with its sweet fragrance.

  • She planted a row of belladonna lily bulbs along the walkway last spring.

  • The belladonna lily blooms in late summer, adding a splash of color to the garden.

Synonyms

Amaryllis belladonna
vsbelladonna lily
  • Specialized
9.0

A plant that grows from a bulb and has large pink or white bell-shaped flowers

describes the plant at family level rather than as a single species

Surface Forms

belladonna lily singular
belladonna lilies plural

Morphology

belladonna + lily

The compound is compositional: 'belladonna' modifies 'lily', so a learner who knows both words can infer it is a kind of lily (a plant) and may suspect an association with belladonna's properties. However, the specific botanical identity, family (amaryllis), and geographic origin are not predictable from the parts alone, so the meaning is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Belladonna lily comes from the Italian 'bella donna', meaning 'beautiful lady'. The bright, showy flowers of the belladonna and the lily looked very pretty, so the name now refers to a pretty, fragrant garden flower.