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daylily

daylily

4 6.3
A plant with long narrow leaves and flowers that open for one day
  • noun
  • /ˈdeɪˌlɪli/
translation icon : hemerocallis
  • I've planted boxwood and hydrangea, and cutting flowers like peonies, black-eyed Susans, petunias, and daylilies.
  • orange daylily
  • daylily garden
  • daylilies bloom

Examples

  • Flora was cutting the daylilies and rudbeckia that border her yard, readying them for winter.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • The soft yellow autumn minaret daylilies begin their long season first, the second week of July.

  • I have a daylily nursery in beautiful North Idaho and specialize in personal service.

    Blog text (6)
  • Mitzi was out in her front yard picking a bouquet of daylilies as we went by.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • The base of the old chimney still stood, and orange daylilies grew in a tuft at its base.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Since her departure, Murphy has managed to neglect or mow over most of the once burgeoning flowerbeds, leaving only a few yellow daylilies and anemic gladiolas.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • In the summer garden, vibrant orange daylilies bloom beautifully, each flower opening for just one day.

  • She planted several daylilies in her yard, enjoying their striking colors for a short while each day.

  • The daylilies by the fence attract butterflies, but their blossoms wilt by evening.

Synonyms

day lily
vsdaylily
3.5

A garden plant with bright, showy flowers that each open for only one day

has identical meaning but is written as one word
Hemerocallis
vsdaylily
  • Specialized
9.9

A garden plant like a lily with large showy flowers that open for one day

refers to the common garden plant rather than the botanical genus

How Showy

orchid
106 3.9
dahlia
3 6.5
crinum
9.2
daylily
4 6.3
fern
54 1.3

Surface Forms

daylily singular
daylilies plural

Morphology

daylily = day + lily (transparent) = day + lily

The compound 'daylily' is directly interpretable as a 'lily' associated with 'day' (flowers that typically bloom for a day), so learners can derive its meaning from the parts.

Etymology

Daylily is made from the plain English parts day and lily because each flower usually blooms for only one day, like a 'lily for a day'. So the name helps you remember that its bright flowers open in the morning and fade by night.