rachis
noun
[ ˈreɪkɪs ]
• a stem of a plant, especially a grass, bearing flower stalks at short intervals.
• the vertebral column or the cord from which it develops.
• 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.
