petiole
noun
pet·i·ole
ˈpe-tē-ˌōl 
1
: a slender stem that supports the blade of a foliage leaf
2
: peduncle
specifically
: a slender abdominal segment joining the rest of the abdomen to the thorax in some insects
Examples of petiole in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Usually, three leaflets are attached to one petiole (the stalk that holds a leaf to the main stem or branch).
—
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Sep. 2024
Poison ivy has compound leaves, meaning several leaflets are on one petiole or stalk.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 July 2024
The disease can move out of the leaf into the petiole and into the cane.
—Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2024
Citrus leaves may develop a flange along the leaf stem, the petiole, that looks like a smaller version of the leaf blade.
—Melinda Myers, Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2024
The petiole attaches the leaf to the trunk and funnels water through a split in its base.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 17 Mar. 2015
The tiny prickles on the back of the petiole are hard to see and can really snag unsuspecting gardeners.
—Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Sep. 2022
Richardson and her team tested both hypotheses in their model and found that the older idea, linking only the sheath to the petiole, offered the simplest evolutionary path and required only subtle changes in a common genetic blueprint.
—Julia Rosen, Scientific American, 30 Mar. 2022
In the 1800s botanists proposed that the sheath part of a grass leaf represented the evolutionary equivalent of the petiole, the stalk that connects a typical plant’s leaf to its stem.
—Julia Rosen, Scientific American, 30 Mar. 2022
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Sep. 2024
Poison ivy has compound leaves, meaning several leaflets are on one petiole or stalk.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 July 2024
The disease can move out of the leaf into the petiole and into the cane.
—Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2024
Citrus leaves may develop a flange along the leaf stem, the petiole, that looks like a smaller version of the leaf blade.
—Melinda Myers, Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2024
The petiole attaches the leaf to the trunk and funnels water through a split in its base.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 17 Mar. 2015
The tiny prickles on the back of the petiole are hard to see and can really snag unsuspecting gardeners.
—Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Sep. 2022
Richardson and her team tested both hypotheses in their model and found that the older idea, linking only the sheath to the petiole, offered the simplest evolutionary path and required only subtle changes in a common genetic blueprint.
—Julia Rosen, Scientific American, 30 Mar. 2022
In the 1800s botanists proposed that the sheath part of a grass leaf represented the evolutionary equivalent of the petiole, the stalk that connects a typical plant’s leaf to its stem.
—Julia Rosen, Scientific American, 30 Mar. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'petiole.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Petiole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petiole. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
petiole
noun
pet·i·ole
ˈpet-ē-ˌōl
: the thin stem of a leaf
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