lily of the valley

American

noun

plural

lilies of the valley

a plant, Convallaria majalis, having an elongated cluster of small, drooping, bell-shaped, fragrant white flowers.

lily of the valley British

noun

a small liliaceous plant, Convallaria majalis, of Eurasia and North America cultivated as a garden plant, having two long oval leaves and spikes of white bell-shaped flowers

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of lily of the valley

First recorded in 1555–65

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

These include motifs of a horse and corgi, references to art and theatre to mark "her enduring support for culture", as well as some of her favourite flowers - roses and lily of the valley.

From BBC

The Queen is wearing a lily of the valley brooch, a symbol of enduring love.

From BBC

The Queen is also wearing a lily of the valley brooch, a symbol of enduring love.

From BBC

All three sections brim with short essays on various plant species such as rose, clover, iris, violet, daisy and lily of the valley, which Dior fashioned into silhouettes and blossoming decorative surfaces.

From The Wall Street Journal

In his hand was a bouquet: baby’s breath and a stalk or two of lily of the valley, tastefully tied up in thread.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023