ligament

noun

lig·​a·​ment ˈli-gə-mənt 

1

: a tough fibrous band of tissue connecting the articular extremities of bones or supporting an organ in place

2

: a connecting or unifying bond

the law of nations, the great ligament of mankind

—Edmund Burke

ligamentous

ˌli-gə-ˈmen-təs 

adjective

Examples of ligament in a Sentence

He sprained ligaments in his knee.

Recent Examples on the Web

On Thursday, June 20, the two-time British Olympic champion, 30, revealed a trip in her backyard led to her not only dislocating her ankle, but also breaking her leg and damaging her ligaments. —Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 21 June 2024

Last year, Judge missed two months with a torn ligament in his right big toe following a spectacular catch at Dodger Stadium. —Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 19 June 2024

The internal brace procedure repairs the UCL and then reinforces it with a tape-like suture instead of fixing it through a full reconstruction like Tommy John, which replaces the existing ligament with a graft usually taken from the pitcher’s hamstring tendon. —Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 17 June 2024

In the former case, an endoscope gets inserted into the wrist-side incision and guides the severing of the ligament in the palm-side incision. —Scott Sundick, Verywell Health, 3 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin & Latin; Medieval Latin ligamentum, from Latin, band, tie, from ligare

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ligament

• anterior cruciate ligament
• cruciate ligament
• medial collateral ligament
• posterior cruciate ligament
• suspensory ligament
• ulnar collateral ligament
• ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction

Kids Definition

ligament

noun

lig·​a·​ment ˈlig-ə-mənt 

: a tough band of tissue that holds bones together or keeps an organ in place in the body

Etymology

Middle English ligament "connecting tissue, ligament," derived from Latin ligamentum "band, something used for tying," from ligare "to bind, tie" — related to ally

Medical Definition

ligament

noun

lig·​a·​ment ˈlig-ə-mənt 

1

: a tough band of tissue that serves to connect the articular extremities of bones or to support or retain an organ in place and is usually composed of coarse bundles of dense white fibrous tissue parallel or closely interlaced, pliant, and flexible, but not extensible

2

: any of various folds or bands of pleura, peritoneum, or mesentery connecting parts or organs