1. One of many kinds of garden plants from the nightshade family with funnel-shaped lowers of white, pink, red, or various shades of purple: Susan and Tom had many window boxes and hanging baskets full of petunias with white, pink, red, blue, and purple bell-shaped flowers.
2. The color purple, from a moderate to a dark shade: Sherry chose a dress with the color petunia to match her new shoes that her husband gave her for her birthday.
3. Etymology: from old and obsolete French pétun, "tobacco" and also from Tupi petyn.