Standard Lemma guide

plumule

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The first bud, or growing point, of a plant embryo, situated above the cotyledons.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: gemmule

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A down feather.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The aftershaft of a feather.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

One of the featherlike scales of certain male butterflies.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

down feather of young birds; persists in some adult birds

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: down, down feather

History

Etymology

From Latin plūmula, diminutive of plūma (“feather”); compare French plumule. By surface analysis, plume + -ule.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: кълн (kǎln) — first bud, or growing point, of a plant embryo
  • Catalan: plúmula — first bud, or growing point, of a plant embryo
  • Finnish: alkeissilmu — first bud, or growing point, of a plant embryo
  • French: plumule — first bud, or growing point, of a plant embryo
  • German: Plumula — first bud, or growing point, of a plant embryo
  • Indonesian: pucuk lembaga — first bud, or growing point, of a plant embryo
  • Indonesian: plumula — first bud, or growing point, of a plant embryo
  • Malay: plumul — first bud, or growing point, of a plant embryo
  • Māori: mātātupu — first bud, or growing point, of a plant embryo
  • Polish: pączek — first bud, or growing point, of a plant embryo
  • Spanish: plúmula — first bud, or growing point, of a plant embryo
  • Welsh: cyneginyn — first bud, or growing point, of a plant embryo