petunia

American  

[pi-oo-nyuh, -nee-uh, -tyoo-] / pɪˈu nyə, -ni ə, -ˈtyu- /

noun

1. any garden plant belonging to the genus Petunia, of the nightshade family, native to tropical America, having funnel-shaped flowers of various colors.

2. a deep, reddish purple.

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petunia British  

/ pɪˈtjuːnɪə /

noun

1. any solanaceous plant of the tropical American genus Petunia: cultivated for their white, pink, blue, or purple funnel-shaped flowers

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Etymology

Origin of petunia

1815–25; < New Latin < obsolete French petun tobacco < Tupi petyn; -ia

Example Sentences

A bit of ironing, planting petunias in the garden and maybe finally tackling an unwieldy tangle of electrical chargers.

From New York Times

If Salvador Dali and David Lynch changed places, the petunias would eat the walruses last, Emily.

From Washington Post

A recent display of sun-tolerant coleus and dark-leaved dahlias greeted visitors at the front walk, while billowing containers filled with trailing million bells, petunias and fragrant heliotrope mounted the entry steps.

From Seattle Times

“We wanted to avoid greenwashing — planting a little patch of clover and petunias and saying, ‘There’s my pollinator-friendly contribution,’” said Michael Noble, director of Minnesota-based Fresh Energy, which helped develop the standards.

From Seattle Times

Some things have changed a little: The old-style lampposts now held planters of red geraniums and pale petunias.

From New York Times