marigold
Americannoun
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any of several chiefly golden-flowered composite plants, especially of the genus Tagetes, as T. erecta, having strong-scented foliage and yielding an oil that repels root parasites.
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any of several unrelated plants, especially of the genus Calendula, as C. officinalis, the pot marigold.
noun
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any of various tropical American plants of the genus Tagetes, esp T. erecta ( African marigold ) and T. patula ( French marigold ), cultivated for their yellow or orange flower heads and strongly scented foliage: family Asteraceae (composites)
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any of various similar or related plants, such as the marsh marigold, pot marigold, bur marigold, and fig marigold
Usage
What does marigold mean? A marigold is a bright orange or yellow flower. The name marigold can be used for any plant in the genus Tagetes. The plants are known for their flowers and fragrant leaves. Common varieties include the French marigold (Tagetes patula), the African marigold (Tagetes erecta), and the Signet marigold (Tagetes tenuifolia). Other unrelated plant species referred to as marigolds include the fig marigold, pot marigold, bur marigold, and marsh marigold. Marigolds are often planted in gardens and are known to attract pollinators. Marigold flowers have cultural significance in Mexico and India, where they are often used for celebrations. Marigolds are also sometimes used in herbal medicine and even in cooking—most marigold flowers are edible. Marigolds are one of the birth flowers for October (a flower that’s associated with a particular month in the same way as a birthstone). Example: I planted marigolds next to my cabbages this year.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of marigold
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Vocabulary lists containing marigold
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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:
The Erawan Shrine remains a popular draw for Chinese and other tourists to the Thai capital, and dozens of visitors made traditional offerings of marigold garlands and incense as usual on Thursday.
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
This includes cornflowers, corncockle and corn marigold - what he terms the iconic British countryside flowers.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2025
Autumn brings clay lamps and marigold garlands to the marketplaces of Delhi as people prepare for Diwali, the Festival of Lights.
From Salon ● Oct. 14, 2024
Pennes also planted Mexican marigold to help repel pests and attract wildlife.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2024
“I string marigold garlands in the bazaar, madam,” I said.
From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan
The footage merges in the middle and then morphs into video of other natural wonders from Monet’s garden — sunflowers, pink asters, golden marigolds and more, forming an ever-shifting landscape.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
He added lowrider pinstripes, bright orange marigolds and papel picado in the foreground.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2024
Surrounding about 10 bodies shrouded in white cloth in a tarpaulin tent, relatives prepared garlands of marigolds for the Hindu cremation rites held on the banks of the Bheri River.
From Reuters ● Nov. 5, 2023
With food and marigolds, Mexico celebrates the 'Día de los Muertos' on the first days of November.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2023
She had a whole truckload of stuff delivered: impatiens, marigolds, geraniums, miniature roses.
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
