raffia

views updated May 14 2018

raf·fi·a / ˈrafēə/ • n. a palm tree (Raphia ruffia) native to tropical Africa and Madagascar, with a short trunk and leaves that may be up to 60 feet (18 m) long. ∎  the fiber from these leaves, used for making items such as hats, baskets, and mats.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

raffia

views updated May 17 2018

raffia (bast, bass) A fibrous tissue from the upper sides of young leaflets of the palm Raphia vinifera that is used for tying plants and to make hats, mats, ect. See RAPHIA.

A Dictionary of Plant Sciences MICHAEL ALLABY

raffia

views updated May 21 2018

raffia XIX. var. of raphia, var. rofia kind of palm (rofeer XVIII); of Malagasy orig.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

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