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Glite Dictionary
adobe lily

adobe lily

9.9
A wildflower with pinkish-purple bell-shaped flowers that grows in dry clay soil in California
  • noun
  • /əˈdoʊbi ˈlɪli/
  • US
translation icon : lirio de adobe
  • Gardeners prize the adobe lily for its delicate, pinkish-purple flowers.

Examples

  • The adobe lily blooms in early spring, adding color to the California hillsides.

  • We spotted a rare adobe lily while hiking through the grassy valley.

  • The adobe lily blooms beautifully in spring.

  • Have you seen an adobe lily in the wild?

  • Gardeners prize the adobe lily for its delicate, pinkish-purple flowers.

  • The adobe lily blooms in early spring, adding color to the California hillsides.

  • We spotted a rare adobe lily while hiking through the grassy valley.

Synonyms

Fritillaria pluriflora
vsadobe lily
  • Specialized
9.9

A small wild lily with pinkish purple bell-shaped flowers that grows in California

is the common wildflower term that highlights growth on heavy clay soil
pink fritillary
vsadobe lily
  • US
9.9

A California plant with pink bell-shaped flowers that hang down

focuses on growing mainly in heavy clay soil areas rather than family grouping

Surface Forms

adobe lily singular
adobe lilies plural

Morphology

adobe + lily

The compound combines 'adobe' (clay/ adobe soil) and 'lily' (a flowering plant) so the meaning — a lily associated with or growing in adobe soil — is directly derivable from its parts. This noun+noun composition follows common cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would reasonably infer the intended referent.

Etymology

Adobe lily gets its name from the clay soil called adobe, because this pink lily often grows in that heavy, sun-baked ground. So the name tells you it is a lily that lives in 'adobe' soil.