palea

noun pa·lea \ˈpā-lē-ə\

plural pa·le·ae \-lē-ˌē\

Definition of PALEA

: one of the chaffy scales on the receptacle of many composite plants

: the upper bract that with the lemma encloses the flower in grasses

— pa·le·al \-lē-əl\ adjective

New Latin, from Latin, chaff — more at pallet

First Known Use: 1753

Next Word in the Dictionary: paleaceousPrevious Word in the Dictionary: pale-All Words Near: palea

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