a palm tree, Raphia ruffia, native to Madagascar, that has large plumelike leaves, the stalks of which yield a useful fibre
2.
the fibre obtained from this plant, used for tying, weaving, etc
3.
any of several related palms or the fibre obtained from them
Word origin
C19: from Malagasy
raffia palm in American English
noun
any of various palms of the genus Raphia, as R. farinifera of tropical Africa, having pinnate leaves that yield a strong, flexible fiber
Word origin
[1895–1900]This word is first recorded in the period 1895–1900. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Marxism, backwind, cutback, flamenco, hit-and-run
Examples of 'raffia palm' in a sentence
raffia palm
The troop sit and swig fermented sap from raffia palms.