| 1. | any of various aquatic plants of the genus Nymphaea, species of which have large, disklike, floating leaves and showy flowers, esp. N. odorata, of America, or N. alba, of Europe. Compare water lily family. |
| 2. | any related plant of the genus Nuphar. |
| 3. | a plant of the water lily family. |
| 4. | the flower of any such plant. |
| water lily n. Any of various cosmopolitan aquatic herbs of the genus Nymphaea, having floating leaves and showy, variously colored flowers, especially N. odorata, with fragrant many-petaled white or pinkish flowers. Also called pond lily. |