tepal

[ tee-puhl, tep-uhl ]

/ ˈti pəl, ˈtɛp əl /

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noun Botany.

one of the divisions of a flower perianth, especially one that is not clearly differentiated into petals and sepals, as in lilies and tulips.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of tepal

<French tépale (1827), alteration of pétale petal, on the model of sépale sepal; coined by Augustin-Pierre de Candolle (1778–1841), Swiss botanist

Words nearby tepal

Tenzing Norgay, teocalli, Teófilo Otoni, teosinte, Teotihuacán, tepal, tepary bean, tepe, tepee, tepefy, Tepe Gawra

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tepal in a sentence

The Blacks have a quaint story about its origin, and I will tell it to you as old Tepal, a black chief, told it to me.
Jean, Our Little Australian Cousin|Mary F. Nixon-Roulet

British Dictionary definitions for tepal

tepal

/ (ˈtiːpəl, ˈtɛpəl) /

noun

any of the subdivisions of a perianth that is not clearly differentiated into calyx and corolla

Word Origin for tepal

C20: from French tépale changed (on analogy with sépale sepal) from pétale petal

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

Scientific definitions for tepal

tepal

[ tē′pəl, tĕp′əl ]

A division of the perianth of a flower in which the sepals and petals are indistinguishable, as in tulips and lilies.