1. The female reproductive organ of a flower, consisting of the stigma, style, and ovary; a pistil or part of a pistil.
Usage: botanical term; commonly used in botany and plant biology education

Examples

• The carpel is the innermost part of the flower and contains the ovules.
• Each carpel develops into a fruit after pollination and fertilization.
• The flower has three carpels arranged in the center.
• Botanists examine the carpel structure to classify flowering plants.
• A simple carpel consists of a single leaf-like structure folded around the ovules.