tepal

T1E1P3A1L1
/ˈtɛp(ə)l//ˈtiːp(ə)l/

noun

Any component of the perianth (outermost whorls of flower parts, not involved in reproduction), especially when the components are not distinguished into sepals and petals.

Scrabble 7

Meanings

nountepal (plural tepals)

plural tepals

  1. biologyAny component of the perianth (outermost whorls of flower parts, not involved in reproduction), especially when the components are not distinguished into sepals and petals.

    The species bears creamy white flowers with a yellow base and tepals often streaked with rose-pink.

    2001, Barbara W. Ellis, Taylor's Guide to Bulbs, page 400
    2 more examples

    1982, H. Q. Varekamp (translator and editor), Z. Botschantzeva, Tulips: Taxonomy, Morphology, cytology, phytogeography and physiology, page 27, In Tulipa the pubescent tips of the tepals are quite interesting in particular those of T. fosteriana. The top of the tepal is initiated and develops before the reflexed, lateral parts.

    In our material of T. bulbosa, the abaxial outer tepal was larger at its inception than the lateral ones (Fig 8.4C), whereas the primordia of the outer tepals are of nearly equal size in both T. barrelieri (Fig 8.5E) and T. palustris (not shown).

    2013, Margarita V. Remizowa, Dmitry D. Sokoloff, Paula J. Rudall, “8: Patterns of bract reduction in racemose inflorescences of early-divergent monocots”, in Paul Wilkin, Simon J. Mayo, editors, Early Events in Monocot Evolution, page 194

Origin

  1. Frenchpétale“petal”
  2. New Latintēpalum
  3. Frenchtépale
  4. Englishtepal

From French tépale, from New Latin tēpalum, coined 1827 by transposition of French pétale (“petal”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch tepaal
  • tepaalbotany
Finnish kehälehti
  • kehälehtibotany
French tépale
  • tépalebotany
German Blütenhüllblatt, Perigonblatt
  • Blütenhüllblattbotany
  • Perigonblattbotany
Japanese 花被片
  • 花被片 (kahihen)botany
Portuguese tépala
  • tépalabotany
Spanish tépalo
  • tépalobotany
Vietnamese cánh đài
  • cánh đàibotany

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with tepal

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Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

tepal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tepal

MLA

“tepal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tepal. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tepal,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tepal.

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