labellum

[ luh-bel-uh m ]

/ ləˈbɛl əm /

noun, plural la·bel·la [luh-bel-uh] /ləˈbɛl ə/. Botany.

the petal of an orchid that differs more or less markedly from the other petals, often forming the most conspicuous part; the lip.

Words nearby labellum

labe, labefaction, label, labeled bracketing, labellist, labellum, labetalol, labetalol hydrochloride, labia, labia majora, labia minora

Origin of labellum

1820–30; < Latin, diminutive of labrum lip; for formation see castellum

OTHER WORDS FROM labellum

la·bel·loid, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for labella

Orchids are very subject to an increase in the number of their labella.
Vegetable Teratology|Maxwell T. Masters
It consists of three joints, the last of which is formed by the liplets (Labella).
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. III (of 4)|William Kirby
Distiproboscis: the outer third of the proboscis in Muscid flies, bearing the labella.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology|John. B. Smith
And then, Labella, does not the good Book command us to do good to those who hate us, and to love our enemies?'
A Fortune Hunter; Or, The Old Stone Corral|John Dunloe Carteret

British Dictionary definitions for labella

labellum

/ (ləˈbɛləm) /

noun plural -la (-lə)

the part of the corolla of certain plants, esp orchids, that forms a distinct, often lobed, lip

a lobe at the tip of the proboscis of a fly

Derived forms of labellum

labelloid, adjective

Word Origin for labellum

C19: New Latin, diminutive of Latin labrum lip

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