sunflower
Americannoun
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sunflowers
plural
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any of various composite plants of the genus Helianthus, as H. annuus, having showy, yellow-rayed flower heads often 12 inches (30 centimeters) wide, and edible seeds that yield an oil with a wide variety of uses: the state flower of Kansas.
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Also called aster. Furniture. a conventionalized flower motif carved in the center panels of a Connecticut chest.
noun
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any of several American plants of the genus Helianthus, esp H. annuus, having very tall thick stems, large flower heads with yellow rays, and seeds used as food, esp for poultry: family Asteraceae (composites) See also Jerusalem artichoke
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the oil extracted from sunflower seeds, used as a salad oil, in the manufacture of margarine, etc
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of sunflower
First recorded in 1555–65; translation of Latin flōs sōlis “flower of the sun”
Vocabulary lists containing sunflower
Non-Color Words to Use When Describing Color
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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.
See Examples For:
Winterich kept otherwise ordinary gifts — including a sunflower mug chosen because her mother knew yellow was her favorite color, because her mother would never give her another one.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
Soon after Cindy’s feeder made its debut, a raccoon arrived, made himself at home on the ledge, and helped himself to some sunflower seeds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
The drone later crashed into a sunflower field, he said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026
Their home runs started the sunflower seed showers in a nine-run inning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2026
"I mean, sunflower seeds cost you ten bucks from now on, until you tell me why you're not in school."
From "Ghost" by Jason Reynolds
A field of unharvested sunflowers had attracted mixed flocks of birds, especially goldfinches and bramblings, before they were startled into the air by a sparrowhawk.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Plus a flower shop next door called Verdant that has flowers I’ve genuinely never seen anywhere else: pink sunflowers that aren’t dyed, just extraordinary things.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
And so the same peloton will be hurtling along the cobbles a couple of months before gliding through the sunflowers of a French summer.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
It’s on the same plot as our old cottage, with the same view over peaceful fields of wheat and sunflowers, but with a more-solid foundation, crack-free walls and better heating.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 22, 2026
It passes by fields of flowers: red poppies, blue and yellow wildflowers, buttercups, oeillets, wild roses, and sunflowers, Vincent’s favorite.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
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