sunflower

[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 inches (30 centimeters) 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.

sunflower

/ ˈsʌnˌflaʊə /

noun

1. any of several American plants of the genus Helianthus, esp H. annuus, having very tall thick stems, large flower heads with yellow rays, and seeds used as food, esp for poultry: family Asteraceae (composites) See also Jerusalem artichoke

2. the oil extracted from sunflower seeds, used as a salad oil, in the manufacture of margarine, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of sunflower¹

First recorded in 1555–65; translation of Latin flōs sōlis “flower of the sun”

Example Sentences

On the drive out that afternoon, between fields of corn and sunflowers, miles of newly uncoiled barbed wire glint in the sunlight.

From BBC

Like the kids, their leather is leaky, their arms are toast, their best hitter is their best pitcher, their silly celebrations are pure playground — shimmy shakes and sunflower seed showers.

From Los Angeles Times

There’s evidence that buckwheat and bush sunflower can take up lead, and saltbush can ensnare arsenic, Fang said, also name-checking corn, squash and cucumber for their ability to sequester contaminants such as dioxins.

From Los Angeles Times

Bringing back sunflower sea stars, which are functionally extinct in California, could help restore kelp forests off the coast, researchers say.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s a love I trace to my cotton, wide-brimmed hat that I wore when I was 6, probably from the Gap, that had a large sunflower beaming from my forehead.

From Los Angeles Times