Definition of: papilla

(pə·pil′ə) noun plural ·lae (-ē)
1. Anat. a The nipple of the mammary glands. b Any small nipplelike process of connective tissue, as on the tongue or the epidermal layer of the skin, or at the root of a developing tooth, hair, feather, etc.
2. Bot. A small, elongate, nipple-shaped protuberance on a flower or leaf. [<L, dim. of papula a swelling, pimple]
—pap·il·lar·y (pap′ə·ler′ē) adjective