Spikelet
/ˈspaɪk.lɪt/noun
A small spike, especially one of the flower clusters in grasses and cereals.
Did you know?Spikelet comes from the same ancient root as spike and spicule, and the -let ending is just a diminutive added much later in English, not part of the original root.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*spei-
“to stab, pierce, or be sharp”
Latin
Latin
spica
“an ear of grain; a spike or pointed tuft”
Old French
Old French
espic
“an ear of grain, spike”
Middle English
English
spike
“a sharp point; later, an ear or cluster resembling one”
Modern English
English
spikelet
“a small spike, especially a unit of a grass inflorescence”