Petiole

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈpÉ›tɪəʊl/
• US IPA: /ˈpÉ›diËŒoÊŠl/

Origin

From French pétiole, and its source, Latin petiolus ("little foot"), diminuitive form of pes.

Full definition of petiole

Noun

1. (botany) The stalk of a leaf, attaching the blade to the stem.
2. (entomology) A narrow or constricted segment of the body of an insect. Used especially to refer to the metasomal segment of Hymenoptera such as wasps.
3. (entomology) The stalk at the base of the nest of the paper wasp.

Synonyms

• (segment of the body of an insect) pedicel

Derived terms

• petiolar
• petiolary