raphe

[ rey-fee ]

/ ˈreɪ fi /

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noun, plural ra·phae

[rey-fee]. /ˈreɪ fi/.

Anatomy. a seamlike union between two parts or halves of an organ or the like.

Botany.

(in certain ovules) a ridge connecting the hilum with the chalaza.
a median line or slot on a cell wall of a diatom.

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Origin of raphe

1745–55; <New Latin <Greek rhaphḗ seam, suture, akin to rháptein to sew, stitch together

Words nearby raphe

rapeseed oil, rap full, rap group, Raphael, Raphaelesque, raphe, raphe nucleus, raphe of penis, raphe of perineum, raphe of scrotum, raphia

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use raphe in a sentence

Ward obtained the unexpected result that it was confined to the raphe of the seed.
Makers of British Botany; a collection of biographies by living botanists|Various
Seeds large, usually slightly notched; chalaza rather narrow; raphe a groove.
The Grapes of New York|U. P. Hedrick
Seeds small to very small, slightly notched on top; chalaza depressed, oblong-oval; raphe broad, slightly distinct.
The Grapes of New York|U. P. Hedrick
Seeds two to three of medium size; chalaza oval in shape, slightly distinct; raphe flat, usually inconspicuous, rarely prominent.
The Grapes of New York|U. P. Hedrick

Seeds small to medium, plump, slightly notched, if at all; chalaza oblong-oval; raphe slightly distinct or invisible.
The Grapes of New York|U. P. Hedrick

British Dictionary definitions for raphe

raphe

/ (ˈreɪfɪ) /

noun plural -phae (-fiː)

an elongated ridge of conducting tissue along the side of certain seeds

a longitudinal groove on the valve of a diatom

anatomy a connecting ridge, such as that between the two halves of the medulla oblongata

Word Origin for raphe

C18: via New Latin from Greek rhaphē a seam, from rhaptein to sew together

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for raphe

raphe

n. pl. ra•phae (-fē′)

A seamlike line or ridge between two similar parts of a body organ, as in the scrotum.

Scientific definitions for raphe

raphe

[ rā′fē′ ]

Plural raphae (rā′fē′)

A seamlike line or ridge between two similar parts of a body organ, as in the scrotum.

The portion of the funiculus that is united to the ovule wall, commonly visible as a line or ridge on the seed coat.

A groove in the frustule of some diatoms.