1. small leaf-like structures found at the base of a leaf stalk in many plants
Usage: botanical term; plural form

Examples

• The rose bush has small stipules at the base of each leaf.
• Botanists use the presence or absence of stipules to help identify plant species.
• The stipules on this plant are so small they’re barely visible.
• Some plants have stipules that are modified into thorns.
• The stipules fell off as the leaf matured.
• Students learned to identify stipules during their plant anatomy lesson.