: a single carpel or group of fused carpels usually differentiated into an ovary, style, and stigma see flower illustration
Examples of pistil in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Flowers are the reproductive parts of plants, typically containing pistils, stamens, anthers, ovules, etc.
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Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2025
Hot-glue a pom-pom to the center of the circle to create the flower pistil.
—Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Sep. 2025
There is nothing quite so sluttish, apparently, as a lustful pistil.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
His creative recipe blends floral gin with honey, lemon juice, dry white apple vermouth, sparkling lemon water, ice cubes and six saffron pistils.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Real weed may have orange or reddish pistils protruding from between the leaves.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 26 Aug. 2023
Some new features of this year’s show include a mile-wide waving flag with red, white and blue palm and strobing shells and a sunflower ring with crackling pistil shells.
—Camille Fine, USA TODAY, 3 July 2023
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Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2025
Hot-glue a pom-pom to the center of the circle to create the flower pistil.
—Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Sep. 2025
There is nothing quite so sluttish, apparently, as a lustful pistil.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
His creative recipe blends floral gin with honey, lemon juice, dry white apple vermouth, sparkling lemon water, ice cubes and six saffron pistils.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Real weed may have orange or reddish pistils protruding from between the leaves.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 26 Aug. 2023
Some new features of this year’s show include a mile-wide waving flag with red, white and blue palm and strobing shells and a sunflower ring with crackling pistil shells.
—Camille Fine, USA TODAY, 3 July 2023
Cite this Entry
“Pistil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pistil. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pistil
noun
pis·til
ˈpis-tᵊl 
: the seed-producing part of a flower consisting usually of stigma, style, and ovary
Etymology
from scientific Latin pistillum "pistil," from Latin pistillum "pestle for grinding material in a mortar"
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