Lil·y n.; pl. Lilies
 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 Lilium longiflorum are the common white lilies of gardens; Lilium Philadelphicum is the wild red lily of the Atlantic States. Lilium Chalcedonicum is supposed to be the “lily of the field” in our Lord's parable; Lilium 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.
 4. Auction Bridge A royal spade; -- usually in pl. See Royal spade, below.
 African lily Bot., the blue-flowered Agapanthus umbellatus.
 Atamasco lily Bot., a plant of the genus Zephyranthes (Zephyranthes 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, Lilium superbum.
 Water lily Bot., the Nymphæa, a plant with floating roundish leaves, and large flowers having many petals, usually white, but sometimes pink, red, blue, or yellow. [See Illust. of Nymphæa.]

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 May, n.
 1. The fifth month of the year, containing thirty-one days.
 2. The early part or springtime of life.
    His May of youth, and bloom of lustihood.   --Shak.
 3. Bot. The flowers of the hawthorn; -- so called from their time of blossoming; also, the hawthorn.
    The palm and may make country houses gay.   --Nash.
    Plumes that mocked the may.   --Tennyson.
 4. The merrymaking of May Day.
 Italian may Bot., a shrubby species of Spiraea (Spiraea hypericifolia) with many clusters of small white flowers along the slender branches.
 May apple Bot., the fruit of an American plant (Podophyllum peltatum). Also, the plant itself (popularly called mandrake), which has two lobed leaves, and bears a single egg-shaped fruit at the forking. The root and leaves, used in medicine, are powerfully drastic.
 May beetle, May bug Zool., any one of numerous species of large lamellicorn beetles that appear in the winged state in May.  They belong to Melolontha, and allied genera.  Called also June beetle.
 May Day, the first day of May; -- celebrated in the rustic parts of England by the crowning of a May queen with a garland, and by dancing about a May pole.
 May dew, the morning dew of the first day of May, to which magical properties were attributed.
 May flower Bot., a plant that flowers in May; also, its blossom. See Mayflower, in the vocabulary.
 May fly Zool., any species of Ephemera, and allied genera; -- so called because the mature flies of many species appear in May. See Ephemeral fly, under Ephemeral.
 May game, any May-day sport.
 May lady, the queen or lady of May, in old May games.
 May lily Bot., the lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis).
 May pole. See Maypole in the Vocabulary.
 May queen, a girl or young woman crowned queen in the sports of May Day.
 May thorn, the hawthorn.

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 Con·val·la·ma·rin n.  Chem. A white, crystalline, poisonous substance, regarded as a glucoside, extracted from the lily of the valley (Convallaria Majalis). Its taste is first bitter, then sweet.

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 Convallaria majalis
      n : low-growing perennial plant having usually two large oblong
          lanceolate leaves and a raceme of small fragrant nodding
          bell-shaped flowers followed by scarlet berries [syn: {lily
          of the valley, lilies of the valley, May lily]