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wild meadow lily

wild meadow lily

8.1
A plant from eastern North America with hanging yellow or red flowers spotted with brown
  • noun
  • US
translation icon : lirio silvestre
  • The wild meadow lily blooms in early summer with delicate, spotted petals.

Examples

  • The wild meadow lily has vibrant yellow blooms that attract many pollinators in its natural habitat.

  • We found a wild meadow lily growing by the edge of the creek.

  • Many nature reserves protect the habitat of the wild meadow lily due to its regional significance.

  • The wild meadow lily blooms in early summer.

  • I saw a beautiful wild meadow lily yesterday.

  • While hiking in the forest, we spotted a wild meadow lily nestled among the ferns.

  • In the warm sunlight, the wild meadow lily swayed gently, showcasing its unique spotted flowers.

Synonyms

Canada lily
vswild meadow lily
  • US
8.2

A tall wildflower with nodding yellow or reddish flowers spotted with brown

is an alternative name stressing meadow habitat
Lilium canadense
vswild meadow lily
  • Specialized
9.9

A wild lily from the eastern United States with hanging yellow or reddish spotted flowers

is the common name description used in everyday language
meadow lily
vswild meadow lily
  • US
5.5

A wild flower that grows in meadows and open woods and has hanging yellow or red blooms with brown spots

focuses on the species without highlighting habitat
wild yellow lily
vswild meadow lily
  • US
4.9

A common wild flower with nodding yellow or red petals spotted with brown

covers a wider eastern North America range in its description

Surface Forms

Morphology

wild + meadow + lily

The phrase is a straightforward composition of 'wild' (growing naturally) + 'meadow' (grassland) + 'lily' (a flowering plant), so the noun phrase denotes a lily that grows wild in meadows. There is no idiomatic or metaphorical shift and the modifier-noun pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Wild meadow lily shows a simple picture: wild means not planted, meadow is a grassy field, and lily is a nodding, spotted flower, so the name means 'a native lily that grows in meadows in eastern North America'.