palea
[ pey-lee-uh ]
/ ˈpeɪ li ə /
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noun, plural pa·le·ae [pey-lee-ee]. /ˈpeɪ liˌi/.
a chafflike scale or bract.
the scalelike, membranous organ in the flowers of grasses that is situated upon a secondary axis in the axil of the flowering glume and envelops the stamens and pistil.
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QUIZ YOURSELF ON PARENTHESES AND BRACKETS APLENTY!
Set some time apart to test your bracket symbol knowledge, and see if you can keep your parentheses, squares, curlies, and angles all straight!
Question 1 of 7
Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?
First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.
First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.
First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT Origin of palea
1745–55; <New Latin, special use of Latin palea chaff
OTHER WORDS FROM palea
pa·le·a·ceous [pey-lee-ey-shuhs], /ˌpeɪ liˈeɪ ʃəs/, pa·le·ate [pey-lee-it, ‐eyt], /ˈpeɪ li ɪt, ‐ˌeɪt/, adjectiveWords nearby palea
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for palea
British Dictionary definitions for palea
palea
pale
/ (ˈpeɪlɪə) /
noun plural paleae (ˈpeɪlɪˌiː) or pales botany
the inner of two bracts surrounding each floret in a grass spikeletCompare lemma 1
any small membranous bract or scale
Derived forms of palea
paleaceous (ˌpeɪlɪˈeɪʃəs), adjectiveWord Origin for palea
C18: from Latin: straw, chaff; see pallet 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Scientific definitions for palea
palea
[ pā′lēə ]
Plural paleae (pā′lē-ē′)
The inner or upper of the two bracts enclosing one of the small flowers within a grass spikelet.
The chaffy scales on the receptacle of a flower head in a plant of the composite family.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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