Definition

Noun: * Lent lily: A common name for the daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus), specifically the wild daffodil native to Western Europe. It is so named because its flowering period typically coincides with the Christian season of Lent.

Usage Notes

• The term "lent lily" is primarily a poetic or traditional common name. In modern botanical or general contexts, "daffodil" or "wild daffodil" is more frequently used.
• It is a countable noun (e.g., , ).

Examples

• The field was carpeted with golden lent lilies, a sure sign that spring had arrived.
• She picked a small bouquet of lent lilies to place on the church altar during the Lenten service.
• The lent lily is one of the first flowers to bloom as winter ends.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically to symbolize rebirth, hope, or the arrival of spring, often within a religious (Christian) context due to its association with the Lenten season.
  • In her poem, the lent lily stood as a symbol of purity and renewal after a period of darkness.

Variants and Related Words

• Daffodil (n): The standard modern name for the plant.
• Narcissus (n): The botanical genus name for daffodils and related plants.
• Wild daffodil (n): A more precise descriptive term for the specific plant referred to as the lent lily.

Synonyms

• Daffodil
• Wild daffodil
• (Poetic) Trumpet narcissus

Notes on Different Meanings

• Important Distinction: Do not confuse "lent lily" with the plant referenced in the provided context ("lily of eastern Mediterranean..."). That description refers to a true lily, often called the Madonna lily (). "Lent lily" specifically refers to a type of daffodil (). They are different genera of plants.

Noun

1. lily of eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans with broad funnel-shaped white flowers