Meaning & use
palmately
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Meaning
adverbnot comparablebiologytechnical
In a pattern where several parts spread out from one point, like the fingers of an open hand.
Grammar: Modifies an adjective or participle: palmately lobed.
Patterns
- palmately lobed
- palmately veined
- palmately compound
The maple's leaves are palmately lobed, with each lobe pointing outward from the stalk.
In a palmately veined leaf, the main veins radiate from the base.
Horse chestnut leaves are palmately compound, with five to seven leaflets joined at one point.
Common combinations
- palmately lobed
- The sycamore leaf is palmately lobed.
- palmately compound
- A palmately compound leaf has leaflets meeting at one point.
- palmately veined
- Grape leaves are palmately veined.
- palmately arranged
- The petals are palmately arranged around the center.
Synonyms and how they differ
- digitately
- Digitately is a close botanical synonym used mostly for compound leaves, while palmately also covers lobing and venation.
- radially
- Radially means spreading out from a center in any structure, but palmately is specific to the hand-like spread of leaves and veins.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: palmately or palm tree?
palmately vs palm tree
Palmately comes from the Latin for the hand, not from palm trees, although some palm leaves are palmate.
Practice
A maple leaf has lobes that spread from one point like fingers. Botanists call it ______ lobed.
Choose one answer.
Palmately describes parts spreading from one point like a hand. Pinnately would describe parts arranged along a central stem like a feather.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “palmately”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.