petiole
noun
pet·i·ole
ˈpe-tē-ˌōl 
1
: a slender stem that supports the blade of a foliage leaf
2
: peduncle
specifically
: a slender abdominal segment joining the rest of the abdomen to the thorax in some insects
Examples of petiole in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The disease can move out of the leaf into the petiole and into the cane.
—
Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2025
Step 2: Prepare Begonia Leaf Next, remove a leaf from the parent plant and use a sterile razor blade to cut through the underside veins on the leaf about a quarter of the way from the petiole (leaf stem).
—Derek Carwood, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Feb. 2025
Citrus leaves may develop a flange along the leaf stem, the petiole, that looks like a smaller version of the leaf blade.
—Melinda Myers, Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2024
Richardson and her team tested both hypotheses in their model and found that the older idea, linking only the sheath to the petiole, offered the simplest evolutionary path and required only subtle changes in a common genetic blueprint.
—Julia Rosen, Scientific American, 30 Mar. 2022
The petiole attaches the leaf to the trunk and funnels water through a split in its base.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 17 Mar. 2015
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Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2025
Step 2: Prepare Begonia Leaf Next, remove a leaf from the parent plant and use a sterile razor blade to cut through the underside veins on the leaf about a quarter of the way from the petiole (leaf stem).
—Derek Carwood, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Feb. 2025
Citrus leaves may develop a flange along the leaf stem, the petiole, that looks like a smaller version of the leaf blade.
—Melinda Myers, Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2024
Richardson and her team tested both hypotheses in their model and found that the older idea, linking only the sheath to the petiole, offered the simplest evolutionary path and required only subtle changes in a common genetic blueprint.
—Julia Rosen, Scientific American, 30 Mar. 2022
The petiole attaches the leaf to the trunk and funnels water through a split in its base.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 17 Mar. 2015
Cite this Entry
“Petiole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petiole. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
petiole
noun
pet·i·ole
ˈpet-ē-ˌōl
: the thin stem of a leaf
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