peony

[ pee-uh-nee ]

noun,plural pe·o·nies.

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.

Origin of peony

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

Words Nearby peony

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use peony in a sentence

Virginia artist Dongpei He, who is a native of China, paints peonies with a precision worthy of scientific illustration, but places the pink blossoms in loosely rendered environs.
In the galleries: Biennial survey celebrates Mid-Atlantic artists of many mediums | Mark Jenkins | October 29, 2021 | Washington Post
Peonies work well in sun-filled areas, although buy an established plant as they can take years to fully blossom.
Boosting your curb appeal for summer selling 2021 | Khalil Alexander El-Ghoul | May 21, 2021 | Washington Blade
More often than not, peony went with green, choosing to take care of both herself and Rita.
What Can Animals Teach Us About Our Morality? | Robert Herritt | April 5, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Her two previous novels, Snowflower and the Secret Fan and peony in Love, were also bestsellers.
The Girls of Paris, China | Sandra McElwaine | June 19, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
Sophy stepped over the dividing line, and the two sisters walked away to the peony settlement.
Country Neighbors | Alice Brown

They saw a band of silent maidens who stood in a wilderness of blossoming peony flowers, that grew to the waters edge.
Japanese Fairy Tales | Grace James
All the peony bed was tossed about like a troubled sea, and the pink and white petals flew like foam.
Japanese Fairy Tales | Grace James
I have in mind a woman who, some years ago, invested in a rare variety of peony.
Amateur Gardencraft | Eben E. Rexford
I was not going to be a peony flaunting among thrifty modest vetches.
The Late Miss Hollingford | Rosa Mulholland

British Dictionary definitions for peony

peony

paeony

/ (ˈpiːənɪ) /

nounplural -nies

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

Origin of peony

Old English peonie, from Latin paeōnia, from Greek paiōnia; related to paiōnios healing, from paiōn physician

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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