Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
ossicle. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
ossicle, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
ossicle in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
ossicle you have here. The definition of the word
ossicle will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
ossicle, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
Late 16th century, from Latin ossiculum (“little bone, ossicle”) from os (“bone”).
Pronunciation
Noun
ossicle (plural ossicles)
- (anatomy) A small bone (or bony structure), especially one of the three of the middle ear.
- The incus is one of the three auditory ossicles.
- Synonyms: auditory bone, auditory ossicle, bonelet, ossicular chain, ossicule, ossiculum, otic bone
- Hyponyms: incus, malleus, stapes, hammer, anvil, stirrup
- Hypernyms: bone, os
- (zoology) Bone-like joint or plate, especially:
- one of numerous small calcareous structures forming the skeleton of certain echinoderms, as the starfishes;
- one of the hard articuli or joints of the stem or branches of a crinoid or encrinite;
- one of the several small hard chitinous parts or processes of the gastric skeleton of crustaceans, as in the stomach of a lobster or crawfish.
- The skeleton of echinoderms is made of ossicles, linked to each other via muscles and connective tissue.
1836, William Buckland, Geology and Mineralogy, Considered with Reference to Natural Theology, volume 1, William Pickering, page 174:The eyeballs were surrounded by a ring of bones, the sclerotic ossicle, which probably protected their eyes when diving abruptly for prey.
Derived terms
See os.
Translations
small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
See also
Anagrams
Catalan
Pronunciation
Noun
ossicle m (plural ossicles)
- ossicle (small bone)