Petunias

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of flowering plant characterized by vibrant colors and trumpet-shaped blooms that attract pollinators and often adorn gardens
2. A popular garden and landscape plant known for its bright, showy flowers and versatility in various planting designs
3. A genus of plants renowned for their fragrant, colorful blossoms, commonly used in ornamental horticulture and enjoyed for their long-lasting blooms

Etymology: The petunia's name is a tobacco word. Its ancestor is "petyma," a term from Old Tupi, the language of indigenous peoples of the Brazilian coast, meaning tobacco. The word passed into French as "pétun," which also meant tobacco, and when botanists needed a name for the new genus, they took that French word and gave it Latin-style form as "Petunia." The flower was named for the plant's relationship to tobacco, a fellow member of the nightshade family. The plural "petunias" is simply the regular English plural of "petunia," so the story above is the story of the whole word. The English form entered the language through this scientific naming, not through everyday speech, which is why its origin reaches back to Brazil rather than to a European garden.

Synonyms: flower, bloom, blossom, flora, plant