petunia

[ pi-oo-nyuh, -nee-uh, -tyoo- ]

/ pɪˈu nyə, -ni ə, -ˈtyu- /

noun

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

a deep, reddish purple.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THIS MIDDLE SCHOOL PART OF SPEECH QUIZ!

How well do you know your adjectives from your adverbs? Your preposition from your pronouns? Your interjections from your conjunctions? Let’s put your knowledge of parts of speech to the text! Note: Many of the following questions will ask you to identify the parts of speech “in order.” That means the first word in all capital letters will correspond to the first option in an answer, and so on.

Question 1 of 10

In order, what parts of speech are the words in all capital letters? Alisa was VERY tired, SO she decided to go to bed.

adverb, adverb

adverb, conjunction

adjective, conjunction

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of petunia

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

Words nearby petunia

petty sessions, petty-fitzmaurice, petulance, petulancy, petulant, petunia, petuntse, petworth house, petén-itzá, petöfi, peu de chose

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for petunia

The Petunia affords another example of the immense strides accomplished in the art of seed-saving.
The Culture of Vegetables and Flowers From Seeds and Roots, 16th Edition|Sutton and Sons
You just want Petunia and me for company, same as we want you.
Shavings|Joseph C. Lincoln
There are several fountains in it, and a few clumps of the Petunia violacea, but nothing else of interest.
Journal of a Horticultural Tour through Germany, Belgium, and part of France, in the Autumn of 1835|James Forbes
The major regarded Petunia, who was seated upon the heap of mill- sides, in a most haphazard and dissipated attitude.
Shavings|Joseph C. Lincoln

I whirled him up it, and leaned over the gallery rail, calling to Petunia.
Foe-Farrell|Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch

British Dictionary definitions for petunia

petunia

/ (pɪˈtjuːnɪə) /

noun

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

Word Origin for petunia

C19: via New Latin from obsolete French petun variety of tobacco, from Tupi petyn

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