rachis /ˈrākis, ˈreɪkɪs 
/ (also rhachis) ▸ noun (plural rachides /ˈrakəˌdēz, ˈrā-/) 1 Botany a stem of a plant, especially a grass, bearing flower stalks at short intervals. ▪ the midrib of a compound leaf or frond.
2 Anatomy the vertebral column or the cord from which it develops. 3 Ornithology the shaft of a feather, especially the part bearing the barbs. – ORIGIN late 18th century: modern Latin, from Greek rhakhis ‘spine’. The English plural -ides is by false analogy.
EnglishOxford New American Dictionary
