meniscus

noun

me·​nis·​cus mə-ˈni-skəs 

plural menisci mə-ˈni-ˌskī 

-ˌskē,

-ˌsī

also meniscuses

1

: a crescent or crescent-shaped body

2

: a concavo-convex lens

3

: the curved upper surface of a column of liquid

4

: a fibrous cartilage within a joint especially of the knee

Examples of meniscus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But his career was marred by injuries, with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in the 2011-12 playoffs and a torn meniscus that needed surgery two seasons later severely reducing his minutes on the court. —Reuters, NBC News, 26 Sep. 2024

Advertisement Leonard has struggled with an extensive injury history during his Clippers tenure, including a partial tear of an anterior cruciate ligament that sidelined him for 2021-22, a meniscus tear during the 2023 playoffs and this current case of knee inflammation. —Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2024

The Vikings also had high hopes entering the 2024 season, but those were dealt a huge blow when their 2024 first-round draft pick, quarterback JJ McCarthy, was ruled out for the entirety of the year after undergoing surgery to repair a meniscus tear. —Ben Morse, CNN, 22 Sep. 2024

De la Renta president Alex Bolen stayed in New York due to recent surgery for a torn meniscus but said by phone that the company would headline the luncheon every year if it were invited. —Holly Haber, WWD, 13 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek mēniskos, from diminutive of mēnē moon, crescent — more at moon

First Known Use

1685, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

meniscus

noun

me·​nis·​cus mə-ˈnis-kəs 

plural menisci -ˈnis-ˌ(k)ī 

-ˌkē

also meniscuses

: the curved upper surface of a liquid column

Medical Definition

meniscus

noun

me·​nis·​cus mə-ˈnis-kəs 

plural menisci -ˈnis-ˌ(k)ī, -ˌkē  also meniscuses

1

: a crescent or crescent-shaped body

2

: a fibrous cartilage within a joint:

a

: either of two crescent-shaped lamellae of fibrocartilage that border and partly cover the articulating surfaces of the tibia and femur at the knee : semilunar cartilage:

(1)

: one mostly between the lateral condyles of the tibia and femur

called also external semilunar fibrocartilage, lateral meniscus, lateral semilunar cartilage

(2)

: one mostly between the medial condyles of the tibia and femur

called also internal semilunar fibrocartilage, medial meniscus, medial semilunar cartilage

b

: a thin oval ligament of the temporomandibular joint that is situated between the condyle of the mandible and the mandibular fossa and separates the joint into two cavities

3

: a concavo-convex lens

4

: the curved upper surface of a liquid column that is concave when the containing walls are wetted by the liquid and convex when not