pistil
UK[ˈpɪstɪl]US[ˈpɪstɪl]
n
the female reproductive part of a flower, consisting of an ovary, a stigma, and usually a style.
Etymology
the word 'pistil' entered english in the early 18th century from modern latin 'pistillum', which means 'pestle'. this was a direct borrowing from latin, where 'pistillum' referred to a club-shaped tool used for crushing or pounding substances in a mortar. the botanical term was coined due to the visual resemblance between the shape of a flower's central female organ and the shape of a traditional pestle. thus, the modern abstract meaning in botany evolved from a metaphorical extension based on form, rather than a compositional build-up from smaller meaning-bearing parts.
Analysis
this word is a loanword adopted as a single unit from latin.
Examples
the pistil is typically located in the center of the flower.
each pistil contains one or more ovules which develop into seeds after fertilization.
botanists carefully examined the length and structure of the pistil.