The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
n. Any of various garden plants of the genus Paeonia, having large, variously colored flowers with numerous stamens and several pistils.
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. A plant, and its flower, of the ranunculaceous genus Pæonia. Of the four or five species, one is a shrub; the rest are perennial herbs with showy flowers, often double in cultivation.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. Any plant of the genus Pæonia, which comprises strong-growing showy perennials, familiar in gardens.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. any of numerous plants widely cultivated for their showy single or double red or pink or white flowers
Word Usage
"The most splendid of arrangements for the tea ceremony comes in May, when a peony is put out in a celadon vase; but here again there is but a single bud, always with dew upon it."