peony

American  

[pee-uh-nee] / ˈpi ə ni /

noun

peonies plural

1. any of various plants or shrubs of the genus Paeonia, having large, showy flowers, as the widely cultivated species P. lactiflora: the state flower of Indiana.

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peony British  

/ ˈpiːənɪ /

noun

1. any of various ranunculaceous shrubs and plants of the genus Paeonia, of Eurasia and North America, having large pink, red, white, or yellow flowers

2. the flower of any of these plants

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• peonies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of peony

before 1000; Middle English < Late Latin peōnia, Latin paeōnia < Greek paiōnía peony, akin to Paiā́n paean; replacing Middle English pione < Anglo-French < Old French peone < Latin; replacing Old English peonie < Late Latin, Latin, as above