n.
Pronunciation: ' r ā -( ˌ )f ē
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin, from Greek rhaph ē seam, from rhaptein to sew
Date: circa 1753
1 : the seamlike union of the two lateral halves of a part or organ (as the tongue) having externally a ridge or furrow
2 a : the part of the stalk of an anatropous ovary that is united in growth to the outside covering and forms a ridge along the body of the ovule b : the median line or slit of the valve of certain diatoms