- A small nipplelike projection, such as a protuberance on the skin, at the root of a hair or feather, or at the base of a developing tooth.
- One of the small, round or cone-shaped protuberances on the top of the tongue that contain taste buds.
- A pimple or pustule.
- Botany. A minute projection on the surface of a stigma, petal, or leaf.
[Latin, nipple, diminutive of papula, swelling, pimple.]
papillary pap'il·lar'y (păp'ə-lĕr'ē, pə-pĭl'ə-rē) adj.papillate pap'il·late' (păp'ə-lāt', pə-pĭl'ĭt) adj.
papillose pap·il·lose (păp'ə-lōs', pə-pĭl'ōs') adj.




