a tropical American plant, Tagetes erecta, cultivated for its yellow or orange flower heads and strongly scented foliage: family Asteraceae (composites)
African marigold in American English
noun
a bushy composite plant, Tagetes erecta, of Mexico, having pinnate leaves and large yellow or orange flower heads
Also called: Aztec marigold
Word origin
[1830–40]This word is first recorded in the period 1830–40. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: orientation, paraffin, rococo, showcase, stroboscope