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.

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.

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