Bracteole
/ˈbræk.ti.oʊl/noun
A small bract, especially one subtending a flower or flower cluster.
Did you know?Bracteole comes from the same Latin root as *bract*, ultimately tied to a word for a thin leaf-like covering, and its -eole ending is a diminutive marker that makes the plant world sound almost spellbound.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
bractea
“a thin plate of metal, a leaf-shaped sheet”
Late Latin
Latin
bractea + -olus
“a small bract-like appendage”
18th–19th Century
English
bracteole
“a minute bract in botany”
Modern English
English
bracteole
“a small bract, especially one associated with a flower”