Definition

Noun: * A type of aquatic plant: Spatterdock is a common name for a species of water lily native to eastern and central North America. It is characterized by its large, broad leaves that often float on the water's surface and its distinctive, globe-shaped yellow flowers. It typically grows in calm or slow-moving freshwater or slightly salty (brackish) water.

Examples

• The pond was covered with the broad, green pads of spatterdock.
• We saw a bullfrog sitting on a spatterdock leaf.
• The yellow flowers of the spatterdock bloomed in the still water of the bayou.

Advanced Usage

• The term is used primarily in botanical, ecological, and regional (North American) contexts to describe this specific plant and its habitat.
• "Spatterdock-covered": Used to describe a body of water where this plant is abundant.
  • The canoe moved slowly through the spatterdock-covered cove.

Variants and Related Words

• Cow lily: A common regional synonym for .
• Yellow pond-lily: Another common name for the same plant.
• Nuphar advena: The scientific (Latin) name for this species.

Synonyms

• Yellow pond-lily
• Cow lily

Related Terms (Contextual)

• Water lily: The general family of aquatic plants to which spatterdock belongs.
• Aquatic plant: A broad term for any plant that grows in or near water.
• Pad: A common term for the large, flat leaf of a water lily like spatterdock.

Noun

1. common water lily of eastern and central North America, having broad leaves and globe-shaped yellow flowers; in sluggish fresh or slightly brackish water