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Definition of peduncle - 6 dictionary results

pe⋅dun⋅cle

  [pi-duhng-kuhl, pee-duhng-]
Use peduncle in a Sentence
–noun
1. Botany.
a. a flower stalk, supporting either a cluster or a solitary flower.
b. the stalk bearing the fruiting body in fungi.
2. Zoology. a stalk or stem; a stalklike part or structure.
3. Anatomy.
a. a stalklike structure composed of white matter, connecting various regions of the brain.
b. an attachment process, as in the brachiopods.
Origin:
1745–55; < NL pedunculus, equiv. to L ped-, s. of pēs foot + -unculus dim. suffix, orig. of n-stems; cf. carbuncle, homunculus

Related forms:
pe⋅dun⋅cled, pe⋅dun⋅cu⋅lar  [pi-duhng-kyuh-ler] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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pe·dun·cle   (pĭ-dŭng'kəl, pē'dŭng'kəl)   
n.  
  1. Botany The stalk of an inflorescence or a stalk bearing a solitary flower in a one-flowered inflorescence.
  2. Zoology A stalklike structure in invertebrate animals, usually serving as an attachment for a larger part or structure.
  3. Anatomy A stalklike bundle of nerve fibers connecting different parts of the brain.
  4. Medicine The stalklike base to which a polyp or tumor is attached.

[New Latin pedunculus, diminutive of Latin pēs, ped-, foot; see ped- in Indo-European roots.]
pe·dun'cu·lar (pĭ-dŭng'kyə-lər) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Peduncle

Pe*dun"cle\, n. [Formed fr. (assumed) L. pedunculus, dim. of pes, pedis, a foot: cf. F. p['e]doncule.]

1. (Bot.) The stem or stalk that supports the flower or fruit of a plant, or a cluster of flowers or fruits.

Note: The ultimate divisions or branches of a peduncle are called pedicels. In the case of a solitary flower, the stalk would be called a peduncle if the flower is large, and a pedicel if it is small or delicate.

2. (Zo["o]l.) A sort of stem by which certain shells and barnacles are attached to other objects. See Illust. of Barnacle.

3. (Anat.) A band of nervous or fibrous matter connecting different parts of the brain; as, the peduncles of the cerebellum; the peduncles of the pineal gland.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Main Entry: pe·dun·cle
Pronunciation: 'pE-"d&[ng]-k&l, pi-'
Function: noun
1 : a band of white matter joining different partsof the brain —see CEREBELLAR PEDUNCLE, CEREBRAL PEDUNCLE
2 : a narrow stalk by which a tumor or polyp is attached —pe·dun·cu·lar /pi-'d&[ng]-ky&-l&r/ adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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peduncle pe·dun·cle (pĭ-dŭng'kəl, pē'dŭng'kəl)
n.

  1. See pedicle.
  2. See pedunculus.
pe·dun'cu·lar (pĭ-dŭng'kyə-lər) adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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peduncle   (pĭ-dŭng'kəl, pē'dŭng'kəl)  Pronunciation Key 
  1. The stalk that attaches a single flower, flower cluster, or fruit to the stem. See more at flower.
  2. A stalk supporting an animal organ, such as the eyestalk of a lobster.
  3. A slender stalk by which the base of a nonsessile tumor is attached to normal tissue.
  4. Any of several stalklike connecting structures in the brain, composed either of white matter or of white and gray matter.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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