papilla Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun (botany) a tiny outgrowth on the surface of a petal or leaf
  2. noun a small nipple-shaped protuberance concerned with taste, touch, or smell
    • the papillae of the tongue
  3. noun a small projection of tissue at the base of a hair or tooth or feather

WordNet

Pa*pil"la noun
Etymology
L., a nipple, pimple.
Wordforms
plural Papillæ
Definitions
  1. Any minute nipplelike projection; as, the papillæ of the tongue.

Webster 1913