Main Entry: cos·mos

Pronunciation: \ˈkäz-məs, 1 & 2 also -ˌmōs, -ˌmäs\

Function: noun

Etymology: Greek kosmos

Date: 1596

1 a : universe 1 b (1) : an orderly harmonious systematic universe — compare chaos (2) : order, harmony
2 : a complex orderly self-inclusive system
3 plural cosmos \-məs, -məz\ also cos·mos·es \-mə-səz\ [New Latin, genus name, from Greek kosmos] : any of a genus (Cosmos) of tropical American composite herbs; especially : a widely cultivated tall annual (C. bipinnatus) with yellow or red disks and showy ray flowers

[cosmos illustration]