Standard Lemma guide

rachis

noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK, US: /ˈɹeɪkɪs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The spinal column, or the vertebrae of the spine.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

Topics: anatomy, biology, medicine, natural-sciences, sciences, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An anatomical shaft or axis in a marine invertebrate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The central shaft of a feather.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, natural-sciences, ornithology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The axis of either a compound leaf, inflorescence, or fern frond.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the fall broke his back

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: spinal column, vertebral column, spine, backbone, back

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: skeletal structure

Narrower terms: notochord, chine

6

noun

Meaning 6

axis of a compound leaf or compound inflorescence

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: axis

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: гръбнак (grǎbnak) — spinal column — see also spinal column
  • Catalan: raquis — spinal column — see also spinal column
  • Esperanto: rakio — spinal column — see also spinal column
  • Romanian: rahis — spinal column — see also spinal column
  • Spanish: raquis — spinal column — see also spinal column
  • Bulgarian: стъбло (stǎblo) — central shaft of a feather
  • Catalan: raquis — central shaft of a feather
  • Finnish: ruoti — central shaft of a feather
  • Finnish: ruoto — central shaft of a feather
  • Polish: stosina — central shaft of a feather
  • Portuguese: raque — central shaft of a feather
  • Romanian: rahis — central shaft of a feather
  • Spanish: raquis — central shaft of a feather
  • Catalan: raquis — main shaft of a compound leaf or inflorescence
  • Finnish: keskiranka — main shaft of a compound leaf or inflorescence
  • Finnish: lapakko — main shaft of a compound leaf or inflorescence
  • Galician: raque — main shaft of a compound leaf or inflorescence
  • Romanian: rahis — main shaft of a compound leaf or inflorescence
  • Spanish: raquis — main shaft of a compound leaf or inflorescence
Real reading context

rachis in complete knowledge articles