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Glite Dictionary
corn lily

corn lily

7.5
A South African plant with long grasslike leaves and bright lily-like flowers
  • noun
  • /kɔrn ˈlaɪli/
  • South African
translation icon : lirio de maíz
  • She planted a row of corn lilies along the path for their striking appearance.

Examples

  • The garden was vibrant with blooming corn lilies of many different colors.

  • I saw a stunning corn lily at the botanical garden.

  • Many gardeners value the corn lily for its hardy nature and beautiful flowers.

  • The corn lily bloomed beautifully in the garden.

  • Many gardeners value the corn lily for its hardy nature and beautiful flowers.

  • She planted a row of corn lilies along the path for their striking appearance.

  • The garden was vibrant with blooming corn lilies of many different colors.

Surface Forms

corn lily singular
corn lilies plural

Morphology

corn + lily

The compound is a straightforward noun modifier + head ("corn" + "lily"), so a learner who knows both words would readily infer it denotes a kind of lily (a plant with lily-like flowers). Specific botanical details (South African Ixia) are not predictable, but the general meaning 'a type of lily' is transparently derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Corn lily may get its name from the plant's small underground bulbs called 'corms' that look like grains of corn, and from its showy, lily-like flowers. So the name links the corn-like bulbs to the plant's lily appearance.