The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
n. 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.
n. Any of several brightly coloured flowering plants, of the genus Zinnia, native to tropical America; old maid
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. Any plant of the composite genus Zinnia, Mexican herbs with opposite leaves and large gay-colored blossoms. Zinnia elegans is the commonest species in cultivation.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. A genus of composite plants, of the tribe Helianthoideæ, type of the subtribe Zinnieæ.
n. [lowercase] A plant of this genus.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. any of various plants of the genus Zinnia cultivated for their variously and brightly colored flower heads
Word Usage
"Park Seed Co. sells a zinnia called Profusion Double White that is billed as heat-tolerant and resistant to powdery mildew."