peduncle

American  

[pi-duhng-kuhl, pee-duhng-] / pɪˈdʌŋ kəl, ˈpi dʌŋ- /

noun

1. Botany.

   1. a flower stalk, supporting either a cluster or a solitary flower.

   2. the stalk bearing the fruiting body in fungi.

2. Zoology. a stalk or stem; a stalklike part or structure.

3. Anatomy.

   1. a stalklike structure composed of white matter, connecting various regions of the brain.

   2. an attachment process, as in the brachiopods.

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peduncle British  

/ pɪˈdʌŋkjʊlə, pɪˈdʌŋkəl /

noun

1. the stalk of a plant bearing an inflorescence or solitary flower

2. anatomy a stalklike structure, esp a large bundle of nerve fibres within the brain

3. pathol a slender process of tissue by which a polyp or tumour is attached to the body

4. biology another name for pedicel

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peduncle Scientific  

/ pĭ-dŭng′kəl,pē′dŭng′kəl /

1. The stalk that attaches a single flower, flower cluster, or fruit to the stem.

2. See more at flower

3. A stalk supporting an animal organ, such as the eyestalk of a lobster.

4. A slender stalk by which the base of a nonsessile tumor is attached to normal tissue.

5. Any of several stalklike connecting structures in the brain, composed either of white matter or of white and gray matter.

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Other Word Forms

• interpeduncular adjective
• peduncled adjective
• peduncular adjective
• postpeduncular adjective
• prepeduncle noun
• subpeduncle noun
• subpeduncled adjective
• subpeduncular adjective

Etymology

Origin of peduncle

First recorded in 1745–55; from New Latin pedunculus, equivalent to Latin ped-, stem of pēs foot + -unculus diminutive suffix, originally of n-stems; carbuncle, homunculus

Related Words

• branch
• trunk