Stipule

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈstɪpjuːl/

Definitions

1. A small, leaf-like structure found at the base of a plant's leaf stalk that often appears in pairs
2. Leaf-shaped growths located where the leaf stem meets the main plant branch, usually serving protective or supportive roles
3. Paired appendages growing from the base of a leaf petiole, commonly seen in certain flowering plants and trees

Etymology: The botanical term "stipule" comes to English from French, which took it from Latin "stipula", meaning "stalk" or "straw", especially the dry stalk of hay or grain. The sense of a stalk is the surprise here: the modern botanical meaning, a small leaf-like appendage at the base of a leaf stalk, grew out of that image of a thin, straw-like stem. The Latin noun has deep roots in the word "stips", a term connected with a stiff, rigid stalk. Its diminutive form, "stipula", carries the idea of something small and slender. Over time, English borrowed the word in its technical sense, so a plant's tiny leafy outgrowths took their name from the humble straw that farmers gathered from the field.