Pistil
/ˈpɪs.tɪl/noun
The female reproductive structure of a flower, typically consisting of a stigma, style, and ovary.
Did you know?Botanists named the pistil after the Latin pestle because its slender, often club-shaped form resembled the pounding tool used in mortars—an example of ancient tool imagery hidden inside plant science.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peis-
“To crush, pound, or grind”
Classical Latin
Latin
pinsere
“To pound, crush, or grind”
Classical Latin
Latin
pistillum
“A pestle; literally a small pounding instrument”
16th Century
New Latin
pistillum
“The flower’s female organ, named for its resemblance to a pestle”
17th Century
French
pistil
“The central female organ of a flower”
Modern English
English
pistil
“The female reproductive structure of a flower”