petal

¹

[ pet-l ]

noun

1. one of the often colored segments of the corolla of a flower.

-petal

²

1. a combining form meaning “seeking, moving toward” that specified by the initial element, used in the formation of compound words:

   acropetal.

-petal

¹

combining form

1. seeking

   centripetal

petal

²

/ ˈpɛtəl /

noun

1. any of the separate parts of the corolla of a flower: often brightly coloured

petal

/ pĕt′l /

1. One of the often brightly colored parts of a flower surrounding the reproductive organs. Petals are attached to the receptacle underneath the carpels and stamens and may be separate or joined at their bases. As a group, the petals are called the corolla .
2. See more at flower

Derived Forms

• ˈpetalled, adjective
• ˈpetal-ˌlike, adjective
• ˈpetaline, adjective

Other Words From

• petal·age noun
• petaled petalled adjective
• petal·less adjective
• petal·like adjective
• un·petaled adjective
• un·petalled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of petal¹

1695–1705; < New Latin petalum petal, Latin: metal plate < Greek pétalon a thin plate, leaf, noun use of neuter of pétalos spread out, akin to petannýnai to be open, Latin patēre to stand open ( patent )

Origin of petal²

< New Latin -pet ( us ) seeking, derivative of Latin petere to seek + -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of petal¹

from New Latin -petus, from Latin petere to seek

Origin of petal²

C18: from New Latin petalum, from Greek petalon leaf; related to petannunai to lie open

Example Sentences

The shopper bags continued the petal effect, made perhaps from extra material from a wedding dress covered in rosettes.

From The Daily Beast

And to keep the sun out of her eyes, the Burberry girl will be wearing white framed, petal-shaped dark glasses next spring.

From The Daily Beast

He only brushed a flower so lightly with his fingertips that he did not disturb as much as a petal.

From The Daily Beast

The satirical Petal Paper found an audience—but more and more of them were out of state.

From The Daily Beast

He lived in the small town of Petal, Mississippi, across the river from Hattiesburg.

From The Daily Beast

Its shape is of a lotos bud, and the long fissures that plough a mountain side are now but delicate gold veining on a petal.

From Project Gutenberg

"Then I am quite sure you will remember," she laughed, and fell to picking a rose apart, petal by petal.

From Project Gutenberg

She took another bungling stitch in the petal of a white floss daisy.

From Project Gutenberg

Ariadne was the white and slender lily, slowly unfolding petal after petal in obedience to the law of its own inner growth.

From Project Gutenberg

That other night, after he had gone home, he had found a solitary pink petal clinging to his scarf-pin.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• frond
• needle
• petal
• stalk