raphide
raphis (ˈreɪfɪs)
/ (ˈreɪfaɪd) /
nounplural raphides (ˈræfɪˌdiːz)
any of numerous needle-shaped crystals, usually of calcium oxalate, that occur in many plant cells as a metabolic product
Origin of raphide
1C18: from French, from Greek rhaphis needle
Words Nearby raphide
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
Scientific definitions for raphide
raphide
[ rā′fīd ]
Plural raphides (răf′ĭ-dēz′)
One of a bundle of needlelike crystals of calcium oxalate occurring in many plant cells. The crystals discourage animals from eating the plant by irritating their tissues.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Browse