# Lilly

/ˈɫɪɫi/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/lilly
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a person's name

noun · CEFR A1

a common way to spell the girl's name Lily, or a family name.

For teachers: a female given name or surname, appearing as a variant of the botanical 'Lily'.

- My friend Lilly is coming over for dinner tonight.
- The historical records indicate that the Lilly family settled in this valley during the late eighteenth century.

### 2. a brand of clothing

noun · CEFR C1 · American English · Informal

a colorful dress or piece of clothing made by the brand Lilly Pulitzer.

For teachers: a metonymic reference to a garment, typically a brightly patterned dress, designed by Lilly Pulitzer.

- She wore her favorite pink Lilly to the garden party.
- The boutique specialized in vintage resort wear, featuring several well-preserved Lillys from the nineteen-sixties.

Usage: Often used as a countable noun to refer to the garment itself.

## Examples

- We rowed the lilly across the calm lake.
- The fisherman guided his lilly through the reeds to check the traps.
- The lilly glided silently over the glassy surface, its flat bottom barely disturbing the water.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.