raphide

British

/ ˈreɪfɪs, ˈreɪfaɪd /

noun

any of numerous needle-shaped crystals, usually of calcium oxalate, that occur in many plant cells as a metabolic product

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raphide Scientific

/ rā′fīd /

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.

Etymology

Origin of raphide

C18: from French, from Greek rhaphis needle

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023