water lily family: Meaning and Definition of

wa'ter lil"y fam"ily

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. the plant family Nymphaeaceae, characterized by aquatic herbaceous plants having usually broad leaves, solitary, often showy flowers, and fruit in a variety of forms, and including the lotus (genus Nelumbo), spatterdock, water lily, and water shield.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.