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papilla

[ puh-pil-uh ]
/ pəˈpɪl ə /

noun, plural pa·pil·lae [puh-pil-ee]. /pəˈpɪl i/.

any small, nipplelike process or projection.
one of certain small protuberances concerned with the senses of touch, taste, and smell: the papillae of the tongue.
a small vascular process at the root of a hair.
a papule or pimple.

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Origin of papilla

1400–50; late Middle English <Latin: nipple, teat, diminutive of papula pimple. See pap2

OTHER WORDS FROM papilla

pap·il·lar [pap-uh-ler, puh-pil-er], /ˈpæp ə lər, pəˈpɪl ər/, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for papilla

British Dictionary definitions for papilla

papilla
/ (pəˈpɪlə) /

noun plural -lae (-liː)

the small projection of tissue at the base of a hair, tooth, or feather
any other similar protuberance
any minute blunt hair or process occurring in plants

Derived forms of papilla

papillary, papillate or papillose, adjective

Word Origin for papilla

C18: from Latin: nipple; related to Latin papula pimple
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

Medical definitions for papilla

papilla
[ pə-pĭl′ə ]

n. pl. pa•pil•lae (-pĭl′ē)

A small nipplelike projection, such as a protuberance on the skin, at the root of a hair or feather, or at the base of a developing tooth.
One of the small, round or cone-shaped protuberances on the top of the tongue that contain taste buds.
A pimple or pustule.

Other words from papilla

pap′il•lar′y (păp′ə-lĕr′ē, pə-pĭl′ə-rē) adj.pap′il•late′ (păp′ə-lāt′, pə-pĭl′ĭt) adj.pap•il•lose (păp′ə-lōs′, pə-pĭl′ōs′) adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for papilla

papilla
[ pə-pĭl′ə ]

Plural papillae (pə-pĭl′ē)

A small part projecting from the surface of an organism. In mammals, the nipples of the mammary glands and the taste buds of the tongue are papillae. Papillae are often seen on the undersurfaces of mosses and ferns.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.