Skip to main content
pond lily

pond lily

3.5
A water plant with large round leaves that float on ponds and showy flowers
  • noun
  • /pɒnd ˈlɪli/
translation icon : lirio de agua
  • The garden's centerpiece is a cluster of white pond lilies floating on the water.

Examples

  • Dragonflies hovered above the pond lily, drawn by its brilliant color.

  • The pond lily bloomed beautifully in the summer.

  • A magnificent pond lily bloomed at the edge of the quiet lake.

  • I saw a pond lily while walking by the lake.

  • The pond lily blooms beautifully in the summer sun, attracting many bees and butterflies.

  • We enjoyed a peaceful afternoon by the pond, where the vibrant pond lilies floated gracefully on the water.

  • The garden's centerpiece was a stunning display of pond lilies, filling the air with their sweet fragrance.

Synonyms

water lily
vspond lily
4 1.9

A plant that floats on water with large round leaves and pretty white, pink, or yellow flowers

is a specific type with showy flowers found in temperate and tropical regions
waterlily
vspond lily
1 3.0

A plant that grows in water with large flat leaves and big flowers on the surface

is described as having showy fragrant flowers and broader temperate or tropical range
fragrant water lily
vspond lily
4.2

A water plant with big floating leaves and sweet smelling flowers

has the same description and no difference in meaning
Nymphaea odorata
vspond lily
  • Specialized
9.9

A water plant with large floating leaves and fragrant white flowers

is found across temperate and tropical regions rather than only North America
cow lily
vspond lily
  • US
9.1

A water plant with broad floating leaves and round yellow flowers that grows in quiet ponds

is found across temperate and tropical regions rather than limited to North America
yellow pond lily
vspond lily
  • US
7.2

A water plant with broad leaves and round yellow flowers that floats on calm water

is found in temperate and tropical regions rather than only North American habitats
yellow water lily
vspond lily
3.7

A plant with yellow flowers that grows in ponds and slow-moving water

is generally showier and more fragrant across temperate or tropical regions
European white lily
vspond lily
  • UK
5.8

A water plant with large white flowers that float on ponds

is found across temperate and tropical regions and described as showy and fragrant

Surface Forms

pond lily singular
pond lilies plural

Morphology

pond + lily

The meaning — a lily that grows in or is associated with a pond — is directly and transparently derivable from combining 'pond' (a small body of water) with 'lily' (a flowering plant). This simple noun-noun compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows standard English compound formation, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The compound noun pond lily names a lily that grows in a pond; picture a bright flower sitting on a round green leaf that floats on the water. So, 'pond lily' means the water plant with floating leaves and showy flowers.