marigold Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun any of various tropical American plants of the genus Tagetes widely cultivated for their showy yellow or orange flowers

Mary + gold.

(Bot.) A name for several plants with golden yellow blossoms, especially the Calendula officinalis (see Calendula), and the cultivated species of Tagetes. ✍ There are several yellow-flowered plants of different genera bearing this name; as, the African ∨ French marigold of the genus Tagetes, of which several species and many varieties are found in gardens. They are mostly strong-smelling herbs from South America and Mexico: bur marigold, of the genus Bidens; corn marigold, of the genus Chrysanthemum (C. segetum, a pest in the cornfields of Italy); fig marigold, of the genus Mesembryanthemum; marsh marigold, of the genus Caltha (C. palustris), commonly known in America as the cowslip. See Marsh Marigold.