petal

1 of 2

noun

pet·​al ˈpe-tᵊl 

: one of the modified often brightly colored leaves of the corolla of a flower see flower illustration

petaled adjective

or petalled

ˈpe-tᵊld 

petallike

ˈpe-tᵊl-ˌ(l)īk 

adjective

petaled

2 of 2

adjective

pet·​aled

variants or petalled

¦petᵊld 

-etᵊld

1

: having petals

—often used in combination

crimson-petaled

2

: resembling a petal especially in shape

Examples of petal in a Sentence

Noun

flowers with pink and white petals

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Pull off any petals that are still attached to the seeds and discard them. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 24 July 2026

Amongst rose petals, candles and dinner at their favorite restaurant, Payne said yes again. — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026

This colorful set uses subtle lines that mimic flower petals. — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 21 July 2026

Keep an eye out for flowers in which the petals and stamens have fallen away completely. — Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 21 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

New Latin petalum, from Greek petalon; akin to Greek petannynai to spread out — more at fathom

First Known Use

Noun

1712, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing petal

• banner petal
• standard petal

Rhymes for petal

• betel
• cetyl
• kettle
• metal
• mettle
• nettle
• setal
• settle
• acetyl
• bimetal
• gunmetal
• nonmetal

Kids Definition

petal

noun

pet·​al ˈpet-ᵊl 

: one of the often brightly colored modified leaves that make up the corolla of a flower

petaled adjective

or petalled

-ᵊld 

petallike

-ᵊl-ˌ(l)īk 

adjective