Illustration of petunia
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web With its white starry speckles, this gorgeous purple petunia is nothing short of otherworldly. 
Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2022 Technically a tender perennial, many modern petunia hybrids are now grown as annuals in all USDA Plant Hardiness Zones. Terri Robertson, Country Living, 21 June 2022 This new petunia, in the Vista Series, is a vibrant fuchsia/purple, Butson said. Joanne Kempinger Demski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 24 Mar. 2022 Placing one petunia in the middle and three around the sides gives a quicker full basket of foliage and blooms but at much greater cost. Tom Maccubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 13 Nov. 2021 The revelatory discovery happened by accident after a number of oddities, including an effort to make an especially vibrant petunia. Morgan Greene, chicagotribune.com, 30 July 2021 This vigorous petunia works as both a filler and spiller in containers, with stems that can trail up to 30 inches by the end of the season. Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 May 2021 This petunia variety is also a sure bet tucked among perennials in your backyard flower borders. Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 May 2021 How deep would edging have to be to stop Mexican petunia from spreading? Neil Sperry, ExpressNews.com, 1 Jan. 2021 See More
Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2022 Technically a tender perennial, many modern petunia hybrids are now grown as annuals in all USDA Plant Hardiness Zones. Terri Robertson, Country Living, 21 June 2022 This new petunia, in the Vista Series, is a vibrant fuchsia/purple, Butson said. Joanne Kempinger Demski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 24 Mar. 2022 Placing one petunia in the middle and three around the sides gives a quicker full basket of foliage and blooms but at much greater cost. Tom Maccubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 13 Nov. 2021 The revelatory discovery happened by accident after a number of oddities, including an effort to make an especially vibrant petunia. Morgan Greene, chicagotribune.com, 30 July 2021 This vigorous petunia works as both a filler and spiller in containers, with stems that can trail up to 30 inches by the end of the season. Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 May 2021 This petunia variety is also a sure bet tucked among perennials in your backyard flower borders. Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 May 2021 How deep would edging have to be to stop Mexican petunia from spreading? Neil Sperry, ExpressNews.com, 1 Jan. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from obsolete French petun tobacco, from Tupi petɨ́ma
First Known Use
1825, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
petunia
noun
pe·tu·nia pə-ˈtü-nyə
-ˈtyü-
: a plant grown for its brightly colored flowers that are shaped like funnels