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Glite Dictionary
mountain lily

mountain lily

7.2
A plant with large white flowers that grows in mountains
  • noun
  • New Zealand
translation icon : lirio de montaña
  • You know, like the mountain lily.

Examples

  • Gardeners in cooler climates often grow the mountain lily for its striking white flowers.

  • The mountain lily blooms in the early spring, adding beauty to alpine gardens.

  • Hiking through New Zealand, we spotted several rare mountain lilies along the trail.

Synonyms

Lilium auratum
vsmountain lily
  • Specialized
9.8

A large white lily from Japan with golden stripes on the petals

is a broader name for this species or for a New Zealand alpine plant
Mount Cook lily
vsmountain lily
  • New Zealand
8.6

A New Zealand plant with large white flowers that comes back each year in mountains

is a broader name for this alpine plant or for the Japanese species

Surface Forms

mountain lily singular
mountain lilies plural

Morphology

mountain + lily

The compound 'mountain lily' is transparently interpreted as a type of lily associated with mountains (a lily that grows on or is characteristic of mountains). This meaning is directly derivable from the constituents and follows a common noun+noun compounding pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows 'mountain' and 'lily' would readily infer the referent.

Etymology

The name mountain lily may come from the plant's two parts: mountain for where it grows and lily for its large white flower. So the name means 'a lily that grows in mountain places' and helps you remember the plant's look and home.