acrop·e·tal \əˈkräpəd.əl, aˈ-\adjective Etymology:acr- + -petal botany: from the base toward the apex or from below upward < acropetal differentiation of an inflorescence > < acropetal spread of a pathogen in a plant body > — compare basipetal • acrop·e·tal·ly\-əlē\adverb