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Definition of "raphe" []

  • Anatomy A seamlike line or ridge between two similar parts of a body organ, as in the scrotum. (noun)
  • Botany The portion of the funiculus that is united to the ovule wall, commonly visible as a line or ridge on the seed coat. (noun)
  • The median groove of a diatom valve. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "raphe" in a sentence
  • "Last year, Siver discovered a new genus of diatom (he has discovered 60 new species over the past 20 years) that sheds light on the origin of the "raphe" -- a slit that appears along the long axis of pennate diatoms."
  • "The substance abounds in our bloodstreams, but our brains produce separate supplies via cells known as raphe nuclei."
  • "Because the underside of the shaft especially the central line called the raphe and the coronal ridge are more sensitive, many men find it more pleasurable when a woman places her hand “upside down” around the penis, with her thumb on the underside."