carpel
Americannoun
noun
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One of the individual female reproductive organs in a flower. A carpel is composed of an ovary, a style, and a stigma, although some flowers have carpels without a distinct style. In origin, carpels are leaves (megasporophylls) that have evolved to enclose the ovules. The term pistil is sometimes used to refer to a single carpel or to several carpels fused together.
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See more at flower
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Etymology
Origin of carpel
1810–20; < New Latin carpellum, equivalent to Greek karp ( ós ) fruit + Latin -ellum diminutive suffix
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That year, Strasburg underwent season-ending carpel tunnel surgery — before eventually needing a procedure to address thoracic outlet syndrome.
From Washington Times • Jun. 5, 2023
Pollination occurs when a pollen grain lands on the stigma, the flat structure at the top of the carpel.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015
The ovary is the wide part of the carpel.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015
The ovary is the wide part of the carpel.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015
Apocar�pous, in botany, a term applied to such fruits as are the produce of a single flower, and are formed of one carpel, or a number of carpels free and separate from each other.
From The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 2 Amiel to Atrauli by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.