palea

noun

pa·​lea ˈpā-lē-ə How to pronounce palea (audio)
plural paleae ˈpā-lē-ˌē How to pronounce palea (audio)
1
: one of the chaffy scales on the receptacle of many composite plants
2
: the upper bract that with the lemma encloses the flower in grasses
paleal
ˈpā-lē-əl How to pronounce palea (audio)
adjective

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin, chaff — more at pallet

First Known Use

1753, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of palea was in 1753

Dictionary Entries Near palea

pale-

palea

paleaceous

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Palea.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/palea. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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