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

Shape the wax into delicate petals. —Shagun Khare, Martha Stewart, 16 Mar. 2026

During a drive, there were mostly Desert Gold with bright yellow petals and orange-ish yellow puffy centers, alongside occasional veritable carpets of deep purple Caltha-leaf Phacelia. —Mindy Sink, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026

Flowers, too, are reemerging once again (yes, florals for spring), but with a few modern touches like abstract petals, dreamy watercolor washes, and multidimensional accents. —Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026

Give the hydrangea blooms a generous coating of hairspray, spritzing a few inches away in order not to disturb or tear the individual petals. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 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
• diacetyl
• gunmetal
• nonmetal
• resettle

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