- 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 - sunflower seed oil ⇒ the oil extracted from sunflower seeds, used as a salad oil, in the manufacture of margarine, etc
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
sun•flow•er /ˈsʌnˌflaʊɚ/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Plant Biologya plant having showy, yellow flower heads and edible seeds.
sun•flow•er
(sun′flou′ər),USA pronunciation n.
- Plant Biologyany of various composite plants of the genus Helianthus, as H. annuus, having showy, yellow-rayed flower heads often 12 in. (30 cm) wide, and edible seeds that yield an oil with a wide variety of uses: the state flower of Kansas.
- FurnitureAlso called aster. a conventionalized flower motif carved in the center panels of a Connecticut chest.
- translation of Latin flōs sōlis flower of the sun 1555–65
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
sunflower /ˈsʌnˌflaʊə/ n
'sunflower' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):