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sunflower

 - 3 dictionary results

sun⋅flow⋅er

[suhn-flou-er]
–noun
1. any of various composite plants of the genus Helianthus, as H. annuus, having showy, yellow-rayed flower heads often 12 in. (30 cm) wide, and edible seeds that yield an oil with a wide variety of uses: the state flower of Kansas.
2. Also called aster. Furniture. a conventionalized flower motif carved in the center panels of a Connecticut chest.

Origin:
1555–65; trans. of L flōs sōlis flower of the sun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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sun·flow·er   (sŭn'flou'ər)   
n.  
    1. Any of several plants of the genus Helianthus, especially H. annuus, having tall coarse stems and large, yellow-rayed flower heads that produce edible seeds rich in oil.

    2. The seedlike fruit or the seeds of this plant.

  1. A brilliant yellow to strong or vivid orange yellow.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

sunflower 
1562, "heliotrope;" in ref. to the helianthus (introduced to Europe 1510 from America by the Spaniards) it is attested from 1597.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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