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Webster 1913 Edition


Peony

Pe′o-ny

(pē′ō̍-ny̆)
,
Noun.
;
pl.
Peonies
(pē′ō̍-nĭz)
.
[OE.
pione
,
pioine
,
pioni
, OF.
pione
, F.
pivoine
, L.
paeonia
, Gr.
παιωνία
, fr.
Παίων
,
Παιάν
, the god of healing. Cf.
Pæan
.]
(Bot.)
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.
[Written also
pæony
, and
piony
.]

Webster 1828 Edition


Peony

PE'ONY

,
Noun.
[L. poeonia; Gr. from Apollo.]
A plant and flower of the genus Paeonia. It is written also piony.

Definition 2024


peony

peony

English

Alternative forms

Paeonia officinalis officinalis.

Noun

peony (plural peonies)

  1. A flowering plant of the genus Paeonia with large fragrant flowers. [from 10th c.]
    • 1653, Nicholas Culpeper, The English Physician Enlarged, Folio Society 2007, p. 219:
      The root of the Male Peony fresh gathered has been found by experience to cure the falling-sickness.
    • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 1, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:
      'Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard—peonies and such—in full bloom, the sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal showed.

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