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• petal
  petal

  noun

  one of the often colored segments of the corolla of a flower.
• -petal
  -petal

  a combining form meaning “seeking, moving toward” that specified by the initial element, used in the formation of compound words.

petal

¹ American  

[pet-l] / ˈpɛt l /

noun

• petals
  plural

1. one of the often colored segments of the corolla of a flower.

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-petal ² American  

1. a combining form meaning “seeking, moving toward” that specified by the initial element, used in the formation of compound words.

   acropetal.

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petal ¹ British  

/ ˈpɛtəl /

noun

1. any of the separate parts of the corolla of a flower: often brightly coloured

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-petal ² British  

combining form

1. seeking

   centripetal

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petal Scientific  

/ pĕt′l /

1. One of the often brightly colored parts of a flower surrounding the reproductive organs. Petals are attached to the receptacle underneath the carpels and stamens and may be separate or joined at their bases. As a group, the petals are called the corolla.

2. See more at flower

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• petalage
  noun
• petal-like
  adjective
• petaled
  adjective
• petaline
  adjective
• petalled
  adjective
• petalless
  adjective
• petallike
  adjective
• unpetaled
  adjective
• unpetalled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• petals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of petal¹

1695–1705; < New Latin petalum petal, Latin: metal plate < Greek pétalon a thin plate, leaf, noun use of neuter of pétalos spread out, akin to petannýnai to be open, Latin patēre to stand open ( see patent)

Origin of -petal²

< New Latin -pet ( us ) seeking, derivative of Latin petere to seek + -al ¹

Explanation

A petal is a part of a flower. Most flowers have a ring of brightly colored petals surrounding the center part of the blossom. Petal comes from the Greek word petalon, meaning "leaf, thin plate." A petal is the lovely colorful leaf-like ring around the center of the flower, a thin plate for a fairy. The petals make up a flower’s corolla, surrounding the center. You can rip them off one by one as you say, “She loves me, she loves me not” until the last petal is picked. She loves me!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

petal petals

Floating like a flower petal in the spring breeze.

From Salon ● Feb. 17, 2026

"Each piece of fabric, each petal, is made from different material. It was top-stitched to give the impression of veining," she said.

From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026

Many bowls display floral patterns with petal numbers that follow clear numerical sequences, including 4, 8, 16, 32, and even groupings of 64 flowers.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 16, 2025

“It’s more intricate,” she said, and under-appreciated because float designers “just haven’t seen a good petal job.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2023

I will use a flower petal for paper, And write you the sweetest letter, You are the sultan of my heart, the sultan of my heart.

From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini

Relatives of the victims scatter flower petals from a damaged building as the procession passes below.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

Its rambunctious tannins, high acid and contrasting notes of cherry, rose petals and hot summer asphalt worked nicely.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

The couple, who won the first series of the spin-off edition in 2024, announced on Instagram, external they were "just married" alongside a photo of them kissing while flower petals floated around them.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

Nearby, a woman wept as she embraced a framed picture of her deceased relatives, while another family scattered rose petals at the ruins of the hostel in honour of their son.

From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026

The vines and petals on his skin rustled, like real flowers in the wind.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

Related Words

• frond
• needle
• stalk