peony
Americannoun
-
peonies
plural
noun
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any of various ranunculaceous shrubs and plants of the genus Paeonia, of Eurasia and North America, having large pink, red, white, or yellow flowers
-
the flower of any of these plants
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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
Vocabulary lists containing peony
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Red
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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:
A deep crimson peony, ‘Red Charm’ is a classic to prevent the planting palette from tipping into tooth-aching sweetness.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 9, 2024
And while ants are not strictly necessary for blooming, it’s thought that by crawling over a mature peony bud, they are helping to loosen the tight sheath surrounding the emerging petals.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 24, 2023
I’ve witnessed the magic of a peony going from hot pink to pale coral, watched a tulip’s petals double in size and seen a rose clinging to the last glimmers of its fading bloom.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 22, 2023
I returned home to find a bed of fading peony petals — and a lesson in humility.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 22, 2023
I learned that peony taken with wine can relieve nightmares or melancholy dreams.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
The tall stems of daisies bend above the delicate petals of peonies on a Raspberry Yogurt Basil Cake; a single nasturtium blossom tops an Earl Grey Butterfly Pea Ginger Mini Cake.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
It told me a vase of white peonies in my bedroom contained yellow chrysanthemums, and confidently misidentified a plate of poppadoms as tortilla chips.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2024
It’s not uncommon for cabbage, kale and blueberries to dot flower beds filled with peonies, delphiniums, roselilies and beyond.
From Seattle Times ● May 22, 2024
Dr. Biden said the dinner had been designed with springtime in Washington in mind, and the decorations would evoke a garden of her favorite flowers, including sweet pea, roses and peonies.
From New York Times ● Apr. 9, 2024
My heart spasmed among the peonies like a trout.
From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart
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.
