peony

American  

[pee-uh-nee] / ˈpi ə ni /

noun

peonies plural

1. 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.

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peony British  

/ ˈpiːənɪ /

noun

1. any of various ranunculaceous shrubs and plants of the genus Paeonia, of Eurasia and North America, having large pink, red, white, or yellow flowers

2. the flower of any of these plants

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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

Example Sentences

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

Heavy feeding can slow peony growth and cause dieback.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 14, 2022

She does, particularly when it comes to suggesting that we refuse to settle for the week or so of delight that a solitary peony cultivar offers.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 28, 2022

I walked in the direction from which we had come, and when I reached the timberline, I collected wood broken from the cherry tree, the peony, and the walnut, which is the tree of life.

From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston