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stelae

 - 5 dictionary results

ste⋅la

  [stee-luh]
Use stelae in a Sentence
–noun, plural ste⋅lae  [stee-lee] .
stele (defs. 1–3).

ste⋅le

  [stee-lee, steel for 1–3; steel, stee-lee for 4]
–noun, plural ste⋅lai  [stee-lahy] , ste⋅les  [stee-leez, steelz] .
1. an upright stone slab or pillar bearing an inscription or design and serving as a monument, marker, or the like.
2. Architecture. a prepared surface on the face of a building, a rock, etc., bearing an inscription or the like.
3. (in ancient Rome) a burial stone.
4. Botany. the central cylinder or cylinders of vascular and related tissue in the stem, root, petiole, leaf, etc., of the higher plants.
Also, stela (for defs. 1–3).

Origin:
1810–20; < Gk stlē, akin to histánai to make stand, L stāre to stand

Related forms:
ste⋅lar  [stee-ler] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To stelae
ste·le   (stē'lē, stēl)   
n.  

  1. also ste·la (stē'lə) pl. steles also ste·lae (-lē) An upright stone or slab with an inscribed or sculptured surface, used as a monument or as a commemorative tablet in the face of a building.

  2. stele (stēl, stē'lē) The central core of tissue in the stem or root of a vascular plant, consisting of the xylem and phloem together with supporting tissues.


[Greek stēlē, pillar; see stel- in Indo-European roots.]
ste'lar (-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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Word Origin & History

stele 
"upright slab," usually inscribed, 1820, from Gk. stele "standing block, slab," related to stellein "to set in order, arrange," from PIE *stel- (see stet).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Science Dictionary
stele   (stēl, stē'lē)  Pronunciation Key 
The central core of primary vascular tissues in the stem or root of a vascular plant, consisting of xylem and phloem together with pith.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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