petunia

noun

pe·​tu·​nia pi-ˈtün-yə How to pronounce petunia (audio)
-ˈtyün-
: any of a genus (Petunia) of tropical South American herbs of the nightshade family that are commonly grown as annuals for their fragrant, colorful, trumpet-shaped flowers

Illustration of petunia

Illustration of petunia

Examples of petunia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The idea isn’t so far-fetched: In 2021, Robert’s team observed petunias releasing more compounds that attract bugs around beelike electric fields. Max G. Levy, WIRED, 27 Oct. 2024 The idea isn’t so far-fetched: In 2021, Robert’s team observed petunias releasing more compounds that attract bugs (opens a new tab) around beelike electric fields. quantamagazine.org, 30 Sep. 2024 Try growing these plants around the perimeter of your garden or use them as companion plants for vulnerable crops like brassicas and strawberries and flowers such as petunias, tulips, and sunflowers. Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Sep. 2024 In one experiment, petunias were genetically engineered to have several copies of the gene responsible for their purple hue. Byerik Stokstad, science.org, 27 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for petunia 

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from obsolete French petun tobacco, from Tupi petɨ́ma

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of petunia was in 1825

Dictionary Entries Near petunia

Cite this Entry

“Petunia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petunia. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

petunia

noun
pe·​tu·​nia pi-ˈt(y)ün-yə How to pronounce petunia (audio)
: any of a genus of tropical South American herbs of the nightshade family widely grown for their showy funnel-shaped flowers

More from Merriam-Webster on petunia

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