Home US English petal

Definition of petal in English:

petal

Pronunciation /ˈpedl/ /ˈpɛdl/

Translate petal into Spanish

noun

  • Each of the segments of the corolla of a flower, which are modified leaves and are typically colored.

    ‘In several species the flowers never close, as the petals abscise when the flower is still open.’
    • ‘Closed flowers were stripped of sepals, petals and anthers just prior to stigma maturity.’
    • ‘Even the number of petals on a flower can change after leaf removal.’
    • ‘Next to one of the trees was a flower with blue petals and a yellow stem and leaves.’
    • ‘In these flowers, the anthers are attached to the petals by short filaments half way down the corolla tube.’
    • ‘In the flower type with attractive petals, the insects are trapped almost immediately.’
    • ‘A floral meristem gives rise in sequence to sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels.’
    • ‘The two adaxial sepals are formed in succession, and the two abaxial petals become visible.’
    • ‘Beside the stream she found a patch of flowers with silvery green leaves and golden petals.’
    • ‘They accepted the obeisance when temple priests showered flower petals on them.’
    • ‘Its yellow flowers with sharply reflexed petals have many black speckles.’
    • ‘You just need a couple of roses, which give about ten petals per flower.’
    • ‘The groom's brother douses the newlyweds with flower petals at the end of the ceremony.’
    • ‘The cremated remains will be scattered over the open sea along with flower petals.’
    • ‘Inside, bright streamers dangled form the ceiling as flower petals decorated the floor.’
    • ‘The blossoms vary in shape from simple open bowls to flowers with exquisitely recurved petals.’
    • ‘Flower petals were thrown from the rooftops and everyone cheered for the soldiers.’
    • ‘The inner petals of each flower are tall and thin, held above and around the stamens like a crown.’
    • ‘Within a given species it is possible to predict exactly when a bud will open and how rapidly the petals will senesce.’
    • ‘The differentiated epidermal cells toward the base of the petal are large and elongated, having extremely large nuclei.’

Origin

Early 18th century from modern Latin petalum (in late Latin ‘metal plate’), from Greek petalon ‘leaf’, neuter (used as a noun) of petalos ‘outspread’.