n., pl., -phae, also -phae (-fē').
- Anatomy. A seamlike line or ridge between two similar parts of a body organ, as in the scrotum.
- Botany. The portion of the funiculus that is united to the ovule wall, commonly visible as a line or ridge on the seed coat.
- The median groove of a diatom valve.
[New Latin, from Greek rhaphē, seam, suture, from rhaptein, to sew.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
