checkered lily
- noun
- /ˈtʃɛkərd ˈlɪli/
- US
- Gardeners often choose the checkered lily for its unique, nodding flowers and ornamental value.
Examples
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The checkered lily thrives in moist soil and partial shade, making it ideal for woodland gardens.
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Each spring, the checkered lily blooms in the meadow with its striking purple and white pattern.
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The checkered lily blooms in the spring.
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I saw a beautiful checkered lily in the garden.
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Each spring, the checkered lily blooms in the meadow with its striking purple and white pattern.
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Gardeners often choose the checkered lily for its unique, nodding flowers and ornamental value.
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The checkered lily thrives in moist soil and partial shade, making it ideal for woodland gardens.
Synonyms
A small European lily with bell-shaped purple or maroon checkered flowers
A spring bulb flower with hanging checkered purple or maroon petals
A plant with nodding bell-shaped flowers that are often purple and checkered
A garden flower with hanging bell-shaped petals patterned with purple checks
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a lily with a checkered pattern' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'checkered' (having an alternating-square pattern) with 'lily' (the ornamental flower). This adjective + noun compositional pattern is common and cross-linguistically straightforward, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily understand the MWE.
Etymology
Checkered lily: The plant name checkered lily comes from its nodding bell-shaped flowers, which show a clear square, chessboard-like pattern on the petals. The word checkered describes that look and lily tells you it's a flower, so the name means a 'lily' with a checkered 'pattern'.