Definition of "zinnia" []

• Any of various plants of the genus Zinnia, native to tropical America, especially Z. elegans, widely cultivated for its showy, rayed, variously colored flower heads. Also called regionally old maid, old maid flower. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Park Seed Co. sells a zinnia called Profusion Double White that is billed as heat-tolerant and resistant to powdery mildew."
• "It introduced Americans to the zinnia (1798), the white-fleshed potato (1811) and the tomato (1820)."
• "After purifying and grounding themselves with a zinnia dipped in water, members of the group cast a circle and honored the sun goddess, Amatersu, and the Potomac River."