Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
bractlet

bractlet

9.9
A small leaf below a flower in a group of flowers
  • noun
  • /ˈbræktlɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : bractéola
  • The tiny bractlets at the base of each flower are barely visible to the naked eye.

Examples

  • The bractlet is often mistaken for a petal due to its color and position.

  • Many species in this genus can be distinguished by the shape and number of bractlets.

  • The bractlet is often mistaken for a petal.

  • Many flowers have a bractlet that protects the bloom.

  • Many species in this genus can be distinguished by the shape and number of bractlets.

  • The tiny bractlets at the base of each flower are barely visible to the naked eye.

  • Many flowers have a bractlet that protects the bloom.

Synonyms

bract
vsbractlet
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A leaflike part just below a group of flowers that often protects them

is a much smaller leaf under a flower or part of a cluster
bracteole
vsbractlet
  • Specialized
9.9

A small leaf-like part on the stalk just below a flower

is found beneath a flower or any smaller part within a cluster

How Small

bracteole
  • Specialized
9.9
bractlet
  • Specialized
9.9
bract
  • Specialized
1 9.9

Surface Forms

bractlet singular
bractlets plural

Morphology

bractlet = bract (transparent) = bract + let

The meaning is directly 'small bract' formed by the productive diminutive suffix '-let', so learners who know 'bract' and '-let' can derive it.

Etymology

Bractlet comes from bract, a word for a 'leaf' that sits near a flower, plus the small ending -let, as in leaflet or booklet. So a bractlet is simply a very small bract under or next to a flower.