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

If your petunias looked stunning at first, but are starting to lag a bit, a lack of nutrients is probably to blame. — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 July 2026

In zones 10 and 11, petunias can be grown as perennials, but these plants don’t live very long in these locations either. — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 14 July 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