: any of a genus (Helianthus, especially H. annuus) of New World composite plants with large yellow-rayed flower heads bearing edible seeds that yield an edible oil

Examples of sunflower in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The acrylic painter is known on social media for her paintings of Taylor Swift, Jason Sudeikis, buffalo and sunflowers, and for being one of the few local artists with the license to paint the KU logo and Jayhawk. — Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026 Cheerful images of daisies and sunflowers, culled from hardware store seed packets and perfume advertisements, sit alongside micrographs of cells and other elements invisible to the naked eye. — Ryan Sullivan, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 Priced at $23 for a 16-ounce bottle, The Wash is a full body, sulfate-free cleanser, infused with aloe vera, sunflower seed oil, glycerin and colloidal oatmeal. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 1 Oct. 2026 Ukraine and Russia are both major global suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other food that developing nations rely on. — Hanna Arhirova, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sunflower

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sunflower was in 1597

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Cite this Entry

“Sunflower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sunflower. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

sunflower

noun
: any of a genus of tall herbs that are often grown for their large showy flower heads with yellow ray flowers and for their oil-rich seeds

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