petiole

Noun

petiole (plural petioles)

1. The stalk of a leaf, attaching the blade to the stem.
   • Most insects consume tissue from the leaf blade were measured just past the twist on the side away only, leaving the leaf petioles unscathed.1978, Harry T. Valentine, Estimating Defoliation of Hardwoods Using Blade-petiole Relations, Forest Service Research Paper NE 405, US Department of Agriculture, page 1
   • By contrast, the petioles of large pinnate leaves, as well as stems, typically resist torsion by placing stiff materials with high elastic moduli (like sclerenchyma) toward the perimeters of their cross sections.1992, Karl J. Niklas, Plant Biomechanics, University of Chicago Press, page 167

   Synonyms:

   pedicel

2. (insect anatomy) A narrow or constricted segment of the body of an insect; especially, the metasomal segment of certain Hymenoptera, such as wasps.

   Synonyms:

   pedicel

3. The stalk at the base of the nest of the paper wasp.