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Glite Dictionary
palea

palea

9.9
A thin, flat piece of a grass flower that protects its inner parts
  • noun
  • /pəˈliːə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : palea
  • The palea is the slender structure that helps protect the delicate flowers of the grass.

Examples

  • Farmers often refer to the palea as chaff, which they see when harvesting grain.

  • As the wind blew, many palea danced around the field, scattering like tiny flakes.

  • OK, so again, this was palea glauca red tears.

  • I love that next to it I have a palea that's a little bit sad, so I tucked it in under here.

Synonyms

straw
vspalea
79 1.0

Dried stalks of grain plants used for animal bedding and making things

is a tiny floral scale not the long dried stalks used as material
stalk
vspalea
  • Specialized
5 8.9

The dry leftover stems and leaves after a crop is harvested

is a tiny floral scale rather than bulk seed and stem fragments
stubble
vspalea
  • Specialized
5 5.0

Short dry stalks and husks left after the harvest

is a small floral scale not the larger leftover fragments from threshing
chaff
vspalea
3 8.6

The dry outer parts of grain removed when the seeds are cleaned

is a tiny floral scale inside flowers rather than a processing residue

Surface Forms

palea singular
paleas plural

Etymology

Palea comes from the Latin palea, which means 'chaff' or 'husk', a thin piece like 'straw'. So a plant palea is a small, thin scale that covers and protects the delicate parts of a grass flower, like a tiny husk.