pedicle
- noun
- /ˈpɛdɪkəl/
- Specialized
:
pedículo
- The flower, with its bright colors, was supported by a sturdy pedicle that held it upright in the garden.
Examples
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The tiny pedicle at the base of the bloom allowed it to move gracefully in the breeze.
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Each pedicle in the cluster of flowers was carefully examined by the botanist to study their growth patterns.
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A subcutaneously pedicled forehead flap can be completed in one stage, but the bulging at the pedicle site is a disadvantage of this procedure (3).
Academic text (2015) -
Photo (black and white): Figure 3c: X-ray of the spine in a child showing complete destruction of D12 and L1 vertebral bodies, leaving only the pedicles.
Academic text (2007)
Synonyms
35
1.8
The long thin main stem that supports a plant's flower or leaf
1
3.3
An upright stem that grows from the ground and holds a flower above the leaves
A small stalk that holds a single flower on a plant
A stalk that holds a flower or group of flowers above the plant
Surface Forms
Morphology
pedicle = ped + icle
Although historically built from a combining form 'ped-' and the diminutive '-icle', these parts are not productive or recognizable to average learners, so the meaning cannot be derived transparently from known English words.
Etymology
Pedicle comes from the Latin word pediculus, which means 'little foot', and from the root ped- meaning 'foot'. Think of a tiny foot that holds each flower out from the stem, like a small support for the blossom. That's why a pedicle is the small stalk that supports a single flower.