tepal

[ tee-puhl, tep-uhl ]

nounBotany.

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

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

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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

Origin of 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.

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