zinnia

[ zin-ee-uh ]

/ ˈzɪn i ə /

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noun

any of several composite plants of the genus Zinnia, native to Mexico and adjacent areas, especially the widely cultivated species Z. elegans, having variously colored, many-rayed flower heads.

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Origin of zinnia

1760–70; <New Latin, named after J. G. Zinn (1727–59), German botanist; see -ia

Words nearby zinnia

zinger, zingiberaceous, zingy, Zinjanthropus, zinkenite, zinnia, zinnwaldite, Zinoviev, Zinovievsk, Zinsser, Zinzendorf

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

How to use zinnia in a sentence

They started with a zinnia, extracting live cells from its leaves and culturing them in a liquid growth medium so they would metabolize and proliferate.
Wood without trees|Daniel Ackerman|April 28, 2021|MIT Technology Review
The Zinnia is an excellent plant where a low hedge is desired.
Amateur Gardencraft|Eben E. Rexford
Zinnia, many colours; one and one-half to two feet; July, August and September.
A Woman's Hardy Garden|Helena Rutherfurd Ely
These zinnia seeds do not have the little prongs, because the zinnia does not need them.
A Little Garden Calendar for Boys and Girls|Albert Bigelow Paine

She left the papers with Chub, and since the staff seemed busy, she went on home and started weeding the zinnia bed.
Joan of the Journal|Helen Diehl Olds
THE double varieties of Zinnia have entirely eclipsed the single form of this flower.
The Culture of Vegetables and Flowers From Seeds and Roots, 16th Edition|Sutton and Sons

British Dictionary definitions for zinnia

zinnia

/ (ˈzɪnɪə) /

noun

any annual or perennial plant of the genus Zinnia, of tropical and subtropical America, having solitary heads of brightly coloured flowers: family Asteraceae (composites)

Word Origin for zinnia

C18: named after J. G. Zinn (died 1759), German botanist

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