petal

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

Examples of petal in a Sentence

flowers with pink and white petals

Recent Examples on the Web

Effinger attributes this to its fewer petals compared to the fuller, mophead varieties. — Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 31 July 2026

Mette Brink Søberg, the head of research and development, delicately topped a berry gazpacho dish with colorful flower petals, recently plucked from the nearby garden, in the test kitchen. — James Brooks, Fortune, 30 July 2026

The petals of flowers and the brickwork on buildings in the old distillery district are full of crisp detail, and the footage is consistently smooth thanks to the gimbal stabilization. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 30 July 2026

The flowers, bold yellow, are visited by bees, butterflies and birds while the rest of the surrounding wildlife wait for the petals to wilt and the seeds to drop, said Jackson County’s Deputy Director of Park Operations Tina Spallo. — Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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