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staph·y·lor·rha·phy also staph·y·lor·a·phy

(stăf′ə-lôrə-fē)

n. pl. staph·y·lor·rha·phies also staph·y·lor·a·phies

Repair of a cleft palate by plastic surgery.

[STAPHYLO- + Greek rhaphē, suture (from rhaptein, to sew; see wer-² in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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