compound leaf

American  

noun

1. a leaf composed of a number of leaflets on a common stalk, arranged either palmately, as the fingers of a hand, or pinnately, as the leaflets of a fern; the leaflets themselves may be compound.

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compound leaf British  

noun

1. a leaf consisting of two or more leaflets borne on the same leafstalk

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compound leaf Scientific  

1. A leaf that is composed of two or more leaflets on a common stalk. Clover, roses, sumac, and walnut trees have compound leaves.

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Etymology

Origin of compound leaf

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

compound leaf

How does a compound leaf give a selective advantage to avoid herbivory?

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

In a compound leaf, the leaf blade is completely divided, forming leaflets, as in the locust tree.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

The stalk of a leaflet in a compound leaf.

From Handbook of the Trees of New England by Dame, Lorin Low

Segments, or Divisions, the separate pieces or blades of a compound leaf are called Leaflets.

From The Elements of Botany For Beginners and For Schools by Gray, Asa

The mother butterflies deposit the eggs singly on leaves or stems, generally on the small leaflets of the compound leaf.

From Butterflies Worth Knowing by Weed, Clarence M.