petal

[ pet-l ]

See synonyms for petal on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

Origin of petal

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 (see patent)

Other words from petal

pet·al·age, noun
petaled, petalled, adjective
pet·al·less, adjective
pet·al·like, adjective
un·pet·aled, adjective
un·pet·alled, adjective

Words that may be confused with petal

pedal, peddle, petal

Other definitions for -petal (2 of 2)

-petal

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

Origin of -petal

<New Latin -pet(us) seeking, derivative of Latin petere to seek + -al¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use petal in a sentence

The shopper bags continued the petal effect, made perhaps from extra material from a wedding dress covered in rosettes.
Marni's Sophisticated Spring/ Summer 2014 Collection | Liza Foreman | September 22, 2013 | 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.
Burberry Prorsum Spring/ Summer 2014 | Tom Sykes | September 16, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
He only brushed a flower so lightly with his fingertips that he did not disturb as much as a petal.
The Sept. 11 Survivor Tree in Bloom | Michael Daly | March 24, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
The satirical petal Paper found an audience—but more and more of them were out of state.
Don't Buy Haley Barbour's Myth | Harold Evans | December 20, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
He lived in the small town of petal, Mississippi, across the river from Hattiesburg.
Don't Buy Haley Barbour's Myth | Harold Evans | December 20, 2010 | 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.
The Dragon Painter | Mary McNeil Fenollosa
"Then I am quite sure you will remember," she laughed, and fell to picking a rose apart, petal by petal.
The Colonel of the Red Huzzars | John Reed Scott
She took another bungling stitch in the petal of a white floss daisy.
The Butterfly House | Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
Ariadne was the white and slender lily, slowly unfolding petal after petal in obedience to the law of its own inner growth.
Unveiling a Parallel | Alice Ilgenfritz Jones and Ella Marchant
That other night, after he had gone home, he had found a solitary pink petal clinging to his scarf-pin.
The White Shield | Myrtle Reed

British Dictionary definitions for petal (1 of 2)

petal

/ (ˈpɛtəl) /

noun

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

Origin of petal

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

Derived forms of petal

petaline, adjective
petal-like, adjective
petalled, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for -petal (2 of 2)

-petal

adj combining form

seeking: centripetal

Origin of -petal

from New Latin -petus, from Latin petere to seek

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for petal

petal

[ pĕt′l ]

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. See more at flower.

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