carpel
English edit
Etymology edit
1835, borrowed from French carpelle, from New Latin carpellum, a diminutive of Ancient Greek κᾰρπός (karpós, “fruit”), from Proto-Indo-European *kerp- (“to pluck, harvest”).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
carpel (plural carpels)
- (botany) A constituent part of a flower pistil - the individual female reproductive organs in a flower. A carpel is composed of an ovary, a style, and a stigma, although some flowers have carpels without a distinct style. In origin, carpels are leaves (megasporophylls) that have evolved to enclose the ovules. A pistil may be composed of a single carpel or of several carpels fused together.
Synonyms edit
Translations edit
structural unit of a pistil
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References edit
- "carpel." The American Heritage® Science Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company. 23 Feb. 2007. [1].
Anagrams edit
Old French edit
Etymology edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
carpel oblique singular, m (oblique plural carpiaus, nominative singular carpiaus, nominative plural carpel)
Descendants edit
- French: carpeau