palea

[ pey-lee-uh ]

noun

, plural pa·le·ae [pey, -lee-ee].

1. a chafflike scale or bract.
2. the scalelike, membranous organ in the flowers of grasses that is situated upon a secondary axis in the axil of the flowering glume and envelops the stamens and pistil.

palea

/ ˌpeɪlɪˈeɪʃəs; ˈpeɪlɪə /

noun

1. the inner of two bracts surrounding each floret in a grass spikelet Compare lemma 1
2. any small membranous bract or scale

palea

/ pā′lēə /

, Plural paleae pā′lē-ē′

1. The inner or upper of the two bracts enclosing one of the small flowers within a grass spikelet.
2. The chaffy scales on the receptacle of a flower head in a plant of the composite family.

Derived Forms

• paleaceous, adjective

Other Words From

• pa·le·a·ceous [pey-lee-, ey, -sh, uh, s], pa·le·ate [pey, -lee-it, ‑-eyt], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of palea¹

1745–55; < New Latin, special use of Latin palea chaff

Word History and Origins

Origin of palea¹

C18: from Latin: straw, chaff; see pallet ¹

Example Sentences

For a romantic dinner, the open-air balcony at Assyrtico Wine Restaurant, in a renovated 1960s mansion in Firá, overlooks the volcanic islands of Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni.

From Time

For a romantic dinner, the open-air balcony at Assyrtico Wine Restaurant, in a renovated 1960s mansion in Firá, overlooks the volcanic islands of Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni.

From Time

Achenes fusiform or compressed; pappus of 5 or fewer thin nerveless paleæ, alternating with rough bristly awns, or these wanting.—Low southwestern branching annuals, with narrow entire leaves and solitary terminal heads; ray white or purple.

From Project Gutenberg

A monstrous form occurs in Maine, having a chaffy receptacle and the flowers turned to tufts of chaffy paleæ.

From Project Gutenberg

Having two keelÏlike projections, as the upper palea of grasses.

From Project Gutenberg