Noun: palea pey-lee-u
- (botany) one of the chaffy scales or bractlets growing on the receptacle of many compound flowers
"The palea protects the flower of many grass species"
- (zoology) a stiff, projecting feather or scale-like structure in birds or fish
"The palea on the bird's head gave it a distinctive appearance"
Derived forms: paleas
Encyclopedia: Palea