papilla

P3A1P3I1L1L1A1
/pəˈpɪl.ə/

noun

A vascular process of connective tissue extending into and nourishing the root of a hair, feather, or developing tooth.

OriginLatin papilla →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

nounpapilla (plural papillae)

plural papillae

  1. A nipple-like protuberance on a part or organ of the body.
    1. anatomyA vascular process of connective tissue extending into and nourishing the root of a hair, feather, or developing tooth.
    2. anatomyAny of the vascular protuberances of the dermal layer of the skin extending into the epidermal layer and often containing tactile corpuscles.
    3. anatomyAny of the small protuberances on the upper surface of the tongue often containing taste buds.
  2. biologyA small fleshy projection on a plant.

Origin

  1. Latinpapilla“a nipple, teat”
  2. Englishpapilla

Borrowed from Latin papilla (“a nipple, teat”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic حُلَيْمَة
  • حُلَيْمَة (ḥulayma)nipple-like protuberance
Bulgarian пъпка
  • пъпка (păpka)nipple-like protuberance
Catalan papil·la
  • papil·lanipple-like protuberance
Finnish papilli, papilla
  • papillinipple-like protuberance
  • papillanipple-like protuberance
Irish sineán
  • sineánnipple-like protuberance
Italian papilla
  • papillanipple-like protuberance
Māori hīnawanawa
  • hīnawanawanipple-like protuberance
Persian پاپیل
  • پاپیل (pâpil)nipple-like protuberance
Polish brodawka
  • brodawkanipple-like protuberance
Portuguese papila
  • papilanipple-like protuberance
Russian сосо́чек, бугоро́к
  • сосо́чек (sosóček)nipple-like protuberance
  • бугоро́к (bugorók)nipple-like protuberance
  • борода́вка (borodávka)nipple-like protuberance
Spanish papila
  • papilanipple-like protuberance
Turkish papil, memecik
  • papilnipple-like protuberance
  • memeciknipple-like protuberance

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with papilla

villamanilaAnguillagorillaGodzillaPriscillachinchillaflotillamanillaSillascintillaScyllaDrusillamaxillacedillaaxillahydrillacamarillabarillamantillaperillaancillascillagranadilla
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

papilla. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/papilla

MLA

“papilla.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/papilla. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “papilla,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/papilla.

Source: papilla on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.