Panicle
/ˈpænɪkəl/noun
A branched flower cluster in which the flowers are arranged on secondary branches.
Did you know?Panicle comes from Latin paniculus, a diminutive of panus, meaning a thread or filament, so the word’s earliest sense was tied to something small and string-like rather than mystical.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peh₂-
“to spin, weave, or produce thread-like material”
Latin
Latin
panus
“a thread, filament, or hanging tuft”
Latin
Latin
paniculus
“a little tuft or small cluster; diminutive form”
Late Latin
Latin
panicula
“a loose, branched cluster”
Middle French
Old French
panicule
“a botanical cluster term”
16th Century
English
panicle
“a branched flower cluster”