noun
- a fiber obtained from the leaves of the raffia palm, used for tying plants and other objects and for making mats, baskets, hats, and the like.
noun
- Also called: raffia palm a palm tree, Raphia ruffia, native to Madagascar, that has large plumelike leaves, the stalks of which yield a useful fibre
- the fibre obtained from this plant, used for tying, weaving, etc
- any of several related palms or the fibre obtained from them
fiber-yielding tree of Madagascar, 1729, rofia, from Malagasy rafia. Modern form is attested from 1882; also raphia (1866).