dahlia

[ dal-yuh, dahl-or, especially British, deyl- ]

noun

1. any composite plant of the genus Dahlia, native to Mexico and Central America and widely cultivated for its showy, variously colored flower heads.
2. the flower or tuberous root of a dahlia.
3. a pale violet or amethyst color.

adjective

1. of the color dahlia.

dahlia

/ ˈdeɪljə /

noun

1. any herbaceous perennial plant of the Mexican genus Dahlia , having showy flowers and tuberous roots, esp any horticultural variety derived from D. pinnata : family Asteraceae (composites)
2. the flower or root of any of these plants

Word History and Origins

Origin of dahlia¹

1791; < New Latin, named after Anders Dahl (died 1789), Swedish botanist; -ia

Word History and Origins

Origin of dahlia¹

C19: named after Anders Dahl, 18th-century Swedish botanist; see -ia

Example Sentences

They mingle with puffy red and fuchsia dahlias and purple phlox, as well as hydrangeas, sedum and Creeping Jenny, a ground cover that doubles as paths for strolling.

From Seattle Times

White marigolds and green onions are planted to help deter the skunks, raccoons and squirrels that like to pull out her dahlias.

From Los Angeles Times

I reached out to a couple of local flower farmers for their best tips on growing dahlias in the Puget Sound region:

From Seattle Times

A total eclipse of the sun is said to look like a black dahlia or a monochrome sunflower.

From Los Angeles Times

The tables featured papier-mâché vases, dahlias she’d grown herself and a few buckets of flowers from Little Jack Flower Farm in Snohomish.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• cardinal
• coral
• crimson
• flaming
• glowing
• maroon
• rose
• wine