Word
petal
US/ˈpɛtəɫ/
UK/pˈɛtəl/
Definitions
01part of a flower
n. one of the thin, colourful parts of a flower that make it look pretty.
n. one of the individual segments of the corolla of a flower, often brightly coloured or scented to attract insects.
“The rose petals fell onto the grass after the heavy rain.”
“The botanist carefully removed a single petal to examine the delicate vein structure under the microscope.”
Usage
Countable noun.
02term of endearment
n. a friendly name you call someone, similar to 'dear' or 'love'.
n. a familiar term of endearment used to address someone affectionately.
“Don't worry about the mess, petal, I'll help you clean it up.”
“In certain northern English dialects, it is common for shopkeepers to address customers as 'petal' regardless of their prior acquaintance.”
British English · Informal · Dialect
Teaching tip
This is very regional and informal; learners should be aware of it when visiting the UK but may sound unnatural using it themselves.
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek πέταλον (pétalon), from πέταλος (pétalos, “broad, flat”), from Proto-Hellenic pétalos, from Proto-Indo-European peth₂- (“to spread out”), whence Latin pandō and Proto-Germanic *faþmaz (“embrace”) (English fathom).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
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englishreference.com/q/petal