1. \Lil"y\ (l[i^]l"[y^]), n.; pl. {Lilies} (-[i^]z). [AS.
   lilie, L. lilium, Gr. lei`rion. Cf. {Flower-de-luce}.]
   1. (Bot.) A plant and flower of the genus {Lilium},
      endogenous bulbous plants, having a regular perianth of
      six colored pieces, six stamens, and a superior
      three-celled ovary.
   Note: There are nearly fifty species, all found in the North
         Temperate zone. {Lilium candidum} and {L. longiflorum}
         are the common white lilies of gardens; {L.
         Philadelphicum} is the wild red lily of the Atlantic
         States; {L. Chalcedonicum} is supposed to be the ``lily
         of the field'' in our Lord's parable; {L. auratum} is
         the great gold-banded lily of Japan.
   2. (Bot.) A name given to handsome flowering plants of
      several genera, having some resemblance in color or form
      to a true lily, as {Pancratium}, {Crinum}, {Amaryllis},
      {Nerine}, etc.
   3. That end of a compass needle which should point to the
      north; -- so called as often ornamented with the figure of
      a lily or fleur-de-lis.
            But sailing further, it veers its lily to the west.
                                                  --Sir T.
                                                  Browne.
   {African lily} (Bot.), the blue-flowered {Agapanthus
      umbellatus}.
   {Atamasco lily} (Bot.), a plant of the genus {Zephyranthes}
      ({Z. Atamasco}), having a white and pink funnelform
      perianth, with six petal-like divisions resembling those
      of a lily. --Gray.
   {Blackberry lily} (Bot.), the {Pardanthus Chinensis}, the
      black seeds of which form a dense mass like a blackberry.
   {Bourbon lily} (Bot.), {Lilium candidum}. See Illust.
   {Butterfly lily}. (Bot.) Same as {Mariposa lily}, in the
      Vocabulary.
   {Lily beetle} (Zool.), a European beetle ({Crioceris
      merdigera}) which feeds upon the white lily.
   {Lily daffodil} (Bot.), a plant of the genus {Narcissus}, and
      its flower.
   {Lily encrinite} (Paleon.), a fossil encrinite, esp.
      {Encrinus liliiformis}. See {Encrinite}.
   {Lily hyacinth} (Bot.), a plant of the genus {Hyacinthus}.
   {Lily iron}, a kind of harpoon with a detachable head of
      peculiar shape, used in capturing swordfish.
   {Lily of the valley} (Bot.), a low perennial herb
      ({Convallaria majalis}), having a raceme of nodding,
      fragrant, white flowers.
   {Lily pad}, the large floating leaf of the water lily. [U.
      S.] --Lowell.
   {Tiger lily} (Bot.), {Lilium tigrinum}, the sepals of which
      are blotched with black.
   {Turk's-cap lily} (Bot.), {Lilium Martagon}, a red lily with
      recurved sepals; also, the similar American lily, {L.
      superbum}.
   {Water lily} (Bot.), the {Nymph[ae]a}, a plant with floating
      roundish leaves, and large flowers having many petals,
      usually white, but sometimes pink, red, blue, or yellow.
      [See Illust. of {Nymph[ae]a}.]
   

2. \Lil"y\, n. (Auction Bridge)
   A royal spade; -- usually in pl. See {Royal spade}, below.
   

(LIsp LibrarY) A C++ class library by Roger Sheldon <[email protected]> which gives C++ programmers the capability to write Lisp-style code. Lily's garbage collection mechanism is not sufficient for commercial use however and the documentation is incomplete. It is distributed under the GNU Library General Public License.

Version: 0.1.

The Hebrew name shushan or shoshan, i.e., "whiteness", was used as the general name of several plants common to Syria, such as the tulip, iris, anemone, gladiolus, ranunculus, etc. Some interpret it, with much probability, as denoting in the Old Testament the water-lily (Nymphoea lotus of Linn.), or lotus (Cant. 2:1, 2; 2:16; 4:5; 5:13; 6:2, 3; 7:2). "Its flowers are large, and they are of a white colour, with streaks of pink. They supplied models for the ornaments of the pillars and the molten sea" (1 Kings 7:19, 22, 26; 2 Chr. 4:5). In the Canticles its beauty and fragrance shadow forth the preciousness of Christ to the Church. Groser, however (Scrip. Nat. Hist.), strongly argues that the word, both in the Old and New Testaments, denotes liliaceous plants in general, or if one genus is to be selected, that it must be the genus Iris, which is "large, vigorous, elegant in form, and gorgeous in colouring."

The lilies (Gr. krinia) spoken of in the New Testament (Matt. 6:28; Luke 12:27) were probably the scarlet martagon (Lilium Chalcedonicum) or "red Turk's-cap lily", which "comes into flower at the season of the year when our Lord's sermon on the mount is supposed to have been delivered. It is abundant in the district of Galilee; and its fine scarlet flowers render it a very conspicous and showy object, which would naturally attract the attention of the hearers" (Balfour's Plants of the Bible).

Of the true "floral glories of Palestine" the pheasant's eye (Adonis Palestina), the ranunuculus (R. Asiaticus), and the anemone (A coronaria), the last named is however, with the greatest probability regarded as the "lily of the field" to which our Lord refers. "Certainly," says Tristram (Nat. Hist. of the Bible), "if, in the wondrous richness of bloom which characterizes the land of Israel in spring, any one plant can claim pre-eminence, it is the anemone, the most natural flower for our Lord to pluck and seize upon as an illustration, whether walking in the fields or sitting on the hill-side." "The white water-lily (Nymphcea alba) and the yellow water-lily (Nuphar lutea) are both abundant in the marshes of the Upper Jordan, but have no connection with the lily of Scripture."