What does pedicle mean?
A pedicle is a slender stalk or stalk-like process that supports or connects another structure. In botany, the term can refer to the small stem on which an individual flower is borne, although the more specialized spelling pedicel is also widely used. In anatomy, a vertebral pedicle is the short bridge of bone that joins the main body of a vertebra to the arch surrounding the spinal canal; pedicle screws are named for their placement through this structure. The word is therefore uncommon in general conversation but precise in scientific and medical description. Its underlying idea is that of a small supporting stem: just as a flower may rest on a slender pedicle, so a vertebral arch rests on bony pedicles. Although similar to terms such as peduncle and pedicel, pedicle is especially associated with both botany and vertebral anatomy.
nounA slender stalk or stalk-like process that supports or connects a structure. In botany it may support an individual flower or other plant part; in anatomy, a pedicle is a bridge connecting the body of a vertebra to its arch.
- A slender stalk supporting a flower or other plant part.
- A narrow bony bridge connecting the body of a vertebra to its posterior arch.
"The tiny flowers grew in clusters, each attached to the main branch by a slender pedicle."
"Each white blossom hangs from a delicate green pedicle."
"The surgeon carefully inserted the screw through the vertebral pedicle."
Used when referring to more than one stalk-like supporting process, including individual vertebral pedicles.
"The surgeon mapped the pedicles of the vertebrae before planning the operation."
From the Latin for “little foot,” a pedicle is aptly named: it is the narrow footlike stem on which a flower—or a vertebral body—rests.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pedicle come from?
The word comes through Latin pedicellus, a diminutive of pediculus (“little foot”), which was itself derived from pes (“foot”). The root idea is that of a small stalk or footlike support. The same Latin root also underlies words including pedal, pedestrian, peduncle, and pedicure, though their meanings and later development vary.
Related word forms
How pedicle is actually used
The word is chiefly used in specialist botanical and anatomical contexts. In anatomy, it should not be confused with a pedicle in other structures, such as the skin or a gland.
Easily confused with pedicle
A peduncle is the main stalk supporting a whole flower cluster or inflorescence, whereas a pedicle can be the smaller stalk supporting an individual flower.