Credit: mozzercork, Flickr

Petiole is a noun which comes from the latin word petiolus, which means ‘little foot’. However, a petiole is not quite a little foot, but instead a part of a plant which connects leaves to the stem. These stalks, branching off from the main stem of a plant, can be likened to feet, as they provide the base for leaves to grow from as well as giving support, much like our own feet do for our bodies.

Less commonly, a petiole is also the narrow, stalk-like midsection of an insect. This is the part of an insect’s body which connects two other main body parts, and can especially be observed in ants and wasps, who possess two distinct sections.

Pronunciation: PET-E-OL.

Ability to seamlessly incorporate into every-day writing: 4/10 (Hard-ish)

Example of use:
The plant’s leaves spread away from the stem, prevented from falling only by the petioles allowing each leaf to stand strongly, reaching up towards the dazzling sun.