umbel

um·bel | \ ˈəm-bəl

How to pronounce umbel (audio)

\

Definition of umbel

: a racemose inflorescence typical of the carrot family in which the pedicels arise from about the same point to form a flat or rounded flower cluster — see inflorescence illustration

Examples of umbel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Clumps of Huachuca water umbel, an endangered plant with slender leaves, grow in wetlands by the river — one of more than 600 species of plants found along the San Pedro. — AZCentral.com, "It's one of Arizona's most precious rivers. Hundreds of new wells may leave it running dry," 5 Dec. 2019 Closer investigation showed them to be black swallowtail butterfly larvae, also known as parsley worms, which feed on the foliage of umbels — plants in the carrot/parsley/dill/fennel family with short flower stalks that spread from a common point. — Sally Mccabe, Philly.com, "June 15-21: In the garden, it's time to…," 15 June 2018 Cow parsley got a pass because of its irresistible floating clouds of umbels, but we were instructed to cut its numbers in half. — Amy Merrick, WSJ, "5 Lessons From the Punk Rockers of Gardening," 26 Apr. 2018 Its white flowers bloom in June or July and form an umbel pattern marked by several small blooms spreading out from a single point. — Donna Vickroy, Daily Southtown, "Column: Don't let wild parsnip, giant hogweed, poison ivy wreck your summer," 28 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'umbel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about umbel

Dictionary Entries near umbel

Statistics for umbel

Cite this Entry

“Umbel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/umbel. Accessed 18 Feb. 2020.

WORD OF THE DAY

bootless

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

More Confusing Words—Quiz

The magician ______ moved the selected card to the top of the deck.

discretely discreetly

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.