Madonna lily
- noun
- Specialized
:
lirio de la Virgen
- The Madonna lily is prized for its pure white blossoms and elegant shape.
- Madonna lily (Lilium candidum)
Examples
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The Madonna lily blooms beautifully in spring.
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Gardeners often plant the Madonna lily in spring for summer blooms.
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Legends say the Madonna lily was associated with the Virgin Mary due to its beauty and symbolism.
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Many gardeners love the Madonna lily for its elegance.
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The garden was filled with beautiful flowers, including the elegant Madonna lily, which has broad, white blossoms.
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Every year, the Madonna lily blooms early in spring, brightening the landscape with its striking appearance.
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During the festival, they displayed a stunning arrangement featuring the fragrant Madonna lily at the center.
Synonyms
A plant with large white funnel-shaped flowers and a strong sweet smell
A white spring flower with broad funnel-shaped petals from the eastern Mediterranean
A white lily from the eastern Mediterranean often shown in Christian art
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is compositionally transparent: a learner who knows 'Madonna' (a proper name/title) and 'lily' (a flower) can infer that 'Madonna lily' denotes a kind or variety of lily associated with or named after the Madonna. While they may not know the botanical specifics or geographic range, the basic meaning 'a type of lily' is directly derivable from the constituents and follows common proper-name + noun naming patterns.
Etymology
Madonna lily gets its name from a long link to Madonna, the name used for 'the Virgin Mary'. Its large white lily flowers were often shown in pictures of Mary, so people used the plant as a sign of 'purity' and named it for her.
