Dictionary:

dianthus

  (dī-ăn'thəs)

A plant of the genus Dianthus, which includes carnations and pinks.

[New Latin Dianthus, genus name, probably alteration (influenced by DI–¹) of Greek diosanthos, carnation : Dios, genitive of Zeus, Zeus + anthos, flower.]

Dy-an'thus. About 300 species of mostly Eurasian herbs, some important as garden plants.

Description
Leaves opposite and usually narrow. Joints swollen. Flowers terminal, usually grouped in small, often dense, cymes or panicles, but sometimes solitary. Calyx veiny, with 5 teeth, and often with 2 or more bracts beneath it. Petals 5 (much doubled in some horticultural forms), fringed or toothed in some species, always with a longish basal shank. Stamens 10.

How to Grow
The species listed below are easy to grow in any ordinary, well-drained garden soil. Most prefer full sun. In mild climates, sow seeds outdoors in the fall. Elsewhere, to get first-year bloom, start seeds indoors about 8 weeks before last frost. Transplant when danger of frost is past. Exposure to cold will help ensure same-season bloom. Plants prefer cool weather.

Dianthus Armeria
Deptford Pink . To 16 in. (40.5 cm) high. Flowers to ¾ in. (19 mm) long, clustered in heads, rose-colored with minute white spots, petals toothed and bearded, bracts resembling leaves. Cen. and s. Europe to n. Iran. Naturalized in e. North America. Tolerates dry soil. Biennial grown as a hardy annual.

Dianthus barbatus
Sweet William . 1-2 ft. (30-60 cm) high. Flowers fragrant, ⅓ in. (8 mm) wide, in dense heads, red, rose-purple, white, or varicolored, and in a few forms double-flowered. Many cultivars, including 'Nanus', a dwarf variety, and 'Auriculiflorus', with lobed petals. Eurasia and sometimes an escape in e. U.S. Tolerates light shade. Mostly a biennial or short-lived perennial, but many hardy annual types are available.

Dianthus chinensis
China Pink ; Indian Pink . 12-18 in. (30-45 cm) high, with stems erect and stiffish. Flowers faintly fragrant, red, white, or lilac, solitary or loosely clustered, 1-2 in. (2.5-5.0 cm) wide. Eurasia. Sometimes sold as D. sinensis or D. Seguieri . Where summers are hot, provide afternoon shade. Biennial or short-lived perennial grown as a half-hardy annual.

The botanical name for pinks and carnations.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: carnations and pinks
  Synonym: genus Dianthus