devil lily
- noun
- UK
:
lirio del diablo
- Gardeners prize the devil lily for its striking, spotted petals and elegant appearance.
Examples
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In late summer, the devil lily blooms, attracting butterflies and admirers alike.
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The devil lily brightened the shaded corner of the garden with its orange-hued blossoms.
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The devil lily blooms beautifully in the summer.
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Have you seen the devil lily in the garden?
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Gardeners prize the devil lily for its striking, spotted petals and elegant appearance.
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In late summer, the devil lily blooms, attracting butterflies and admirers alike.
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The devil lily brightened the shaded corner of the garden with its orange-hued blossoms.
Synonyms
1
4.6
A tall garden flower with orange or yellow spotted petals that curve back
A tall plant with bright orange, spotted flowers whose petals bend backwards
A garden plant with large orange flowers with black spots called tiger lily
Surface Forms
Morphology
devil + lily
A B1 learner who knows 'lily' will readily infer this is a type of lily, so the noun is partially compositional; however 'devil' functions as an evaluative/figurative modifier (suggesting a striking, ominous, or unusual appearance) and does not provide the specific botanical details in the definition. Because the exact species and its distinctive features are not predictable from the constituents alone, the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Devil lily may get its name from the flower's wild, bright look. The orange-red petals bend back like horns and the dark spots can look like eyes, so people used the word devil to show its fierce appearance and lily to name the flower.