rachis
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See also: Rachiș
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From New Latin rachis, from Ancient Greek ῥάχις (rhákhis, “spine, ridge”).
Pronunciation
Noun
rachis (plural rachises or rachides)
- (obsolete, zoology, anatomy) The spinal column, or the vertebrae of the spine.
- (zoology) An anatomical shaft or axis in a marine invertebrate.
- 2017, Danna Staaf, Squid Empire, ForeEdge, →ISBN, page 115:
- In some squid species, the pen rachis flares out into wings on either side, and the tip of the rachis grows into a thick cone.
- (ornithology) The central shaft of a feather.
- (botany) The axis of either a compound leaf, inflorescence, or fern frond.
Usage notes
- The plural form rachides is based on a mistaken impression of the Ancient Greek stem.
Derived terms
Translations
spinal column — see also spinal column
zoology: anatomical shaft or axis in a marine invertebrate
central shaft of a feather
main shaft of a compound leaf or inflorescence
References
- “rachis”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
- “rachis”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.