rachis

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromῥάχις“spine, ridge”
2. New Latin · borrowed fromrhachis
3. English todayrachis

From New Latin rhachis/rachis, from Ancient Greek ῥάχις (rhákhis, “spine, ridge”).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• 17th–19th c. The spinal column, or the vertebrae of the spine.
• from 18th c. An anatomical shaft or axis in a marine invertebrate.
• from 19th c. The central shaft of a feather.
• from 19th c. The axis of either a compound leaf, inflorescence, or fern frond.