petal

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   one of the usually colored, leaflike parts that form the corolla of a flower

   A single pink petal floated on the surface of the pond.

2. 2
   noun

   chiefly British, informal: an affectionate form of address

   Come inside, petal, before the rain starts.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Petal came through modern Latin from Greek petalon, meaning “leaf,” derived from petalos, “outspread.” The name reflects the botanical understanding of a petal as a modified leaf.

A learned borrowing from Ancient Greek petalon 'leaf, thin plate,' related to petalos 'spread out, broad, or flat.' The botanical term refers to the broad, often colorful segments of a flower's corolla.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary