petunia

noun

pe·​tu·​nia pi-ˈtün-yə 

-ˈtyün-

: any of a genus (Petunia) of tropical South American herbs of the nightshade family that are commonly grown as annuals for their fragrant, colorful, trumpet-shaped flowers

Illustration of petunia

Examples of petunia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Plants include Canna 'Australis', reddish orange New Guinea impatiens, purple petunia, Ipomea, Angelonia, cleome, coleus, Scaevola, lantana, kangaroo paws, Algerian ivy, and croton. —Midwest Living, 22 Apr. 2026

For a pop of color, try adding petunias or begonias to your trough planter—they’ll grow quickly, spilling out of your planter and filling it out nicely. —Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Apr. 2026

Imagine walking into your local garden center on a Tuesday morning and being told you can’t browse the petunias because there’s a rogue otter loose inside. —Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2026

Roberta grabbed a petunia and inserted it in the back of the puppy. —Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from obsolete French petun tobacco, from Tupi petɨ́ma

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for petunia

• dyspareunia

Kids Definition

petunia

noun

pe·​tu·​nia pi-ˈt(y)ün-yə 

: any of a genus of tropical South American herbs of the nightshade family widely grown for their showy funnel-shaped flowers