petunia
UK[pəˈtjuː.ni.ə]US[pəˈtuː.ni.ə]
n
a garden plant with white, pink, purple, or red trumpet-shaped flowers.
Etymology
the word 'petunia' entered english in the early 19th century as the scientific name for the plant genus. it originates from modern latin, which adopted it from the french 'pétun', a term for tobacco. the french word itself was borrowed from 'petyn', a word from the tupi-guarani languages of brazil, meaning 'tobacco'. this connection exists because the petunia plant is botanically related to tobacco, both belonging to the solanaceae family. thus, the name reflects the european categorization of new world flora based on perceived similarities to known plants.
Analysis
this is a simplex word. it is a modern latin genus name, derived from a french form of a tupi-guarani (brazilian indigenous) word.
Examples
the garden border was a vibrant splash of color, filled with purple and white petunias.
she carefully watered the petunias in the hanging basket to keep them blooming all summer.
the hybrid petunia varieties are notably more resistant to disease.