echinacea Syllabification: (ech·i·na·cea)Pronunciation: /ˌekəˈnāSHə/Definition of echinacea noun a North American coneflower. It is used in herbal medicine, largely for its antibiotic and wound-healing properties. Genus Echinacea, family Compositae: several species, in particular the purple coneflower Origin:modern Latin, from Greek ekhinos 'hedgehog'echinacea in other Oxford dictionaries Definition of echinacea in the British & World English dictionary