zinnia

Meanings

1. 1nouncountablebiology

   A garden plant from Mexico and nearby areas that has bright, daisy-like flowers in many colors and grows quickly from seed.

   Grammar: Countable: a row of zinnias.

   Patterns

   • a row of zinnias
   • plant zinnias

   We planted zinnias along the fence because they bloom all summer.

   Butterflies crowded around the orange zinnias in the garden.

   A zinnia is easy to grow even for people who have never gardened.

2. 2nouncountable

   A single flower of this plant, often cut and put in a vase.

   Grammar: Used for the individual bloom: she picked a zinnia.

   Patterns

   • a bunch of zinnias
   • a vase of zinnias

   She picked a pink zinnia and placed it in a glass of water.

   A vase of zinnias brightened the kitchen table.

   The bride's bouquet included yellow zinnias and white daisies.

Word forms

Common combinations

plant zinnias

Plant zinnias after the last frost.

a bed of zinnias

A bed of zinnias glowed in the late sun.

bright zinnias

Bright zinnias lined the path to the door.

cut zinnias

Cut zinnias last longer in water with a little sugar.

zinnia seeds

We saved zinnia seeds from last year's flowers.

Synonyms and how they differ

daisy

A daisy is a different, simpler flower, though a zinnia's blossom may look similar.

marigold

A marigold is another colorful garden annual but with a stronger smell and different leaves.

dahlia

A dahlia is a larger, more elaborate flower, while a zinnia is usually flatter and simpler.

Word family

zinnias noun

the plural form

zinnia bed noun

a garden area planted with zinnias

annual noun

a plant that lives for one growing season, as zinnias do

Commonly confused: zinnia or zinc?

Practice

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