raphides

[ raf-i-deez ]
/ ˈræf ɪˌdiz /

plural noun, singular ra·phide [rey-fahyd] /ˈreɪ faɪd/, ra·phis [rey-fis] /ˈreɪ fɪs/. Botany.

acicular crystals, usually composed of calcium oxalate, that occur in bundles in the cells of many plants.

Origin of raphides

1835–45; < New Latin < Greek rhaphídes, plural of rhaphís needle

Words nearby raphides

raphe of penis, raphe of perineum, raphe of scrotum, raphia, raphide, raphides, rapid, rapid canities, rapid chess, rapid city, rapid deployment force

British Dictionary definitions for raphide

raphide

raphis (ˈreɪfɪs)

/ (ˈreɪfaɪd) /

noun plural raphides (ˈræfɪˌdiːz)

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

Word Origin for raphide

C18: from French, from Greek rhaphis needle

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.