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plural femurs or femora
ˈfe-mə-rə
ˈfem-rə
1
: the proximal bone of the hind or lower limb that extends from the hip to the knee
called also thigh bone
2
: the segment of an insect's leg that is third from the body
Examples of femur in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These are located on the inside of your thigh, spanning from your femur (or thigh bone) up to your pelvis.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024
Another possible flute from Slovenia, made from a cave bear femur, was dated to over 50,000 years ago and is suggested to have been made by Neanderthals.
—Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024
Within what felt like a heartbeat, my father collapsed and broke his femur, as a result of a heart that didn’t beat often enough.
—Peter Ubel, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Trochanteric bursitis affects the pointed upper, outside edge of the femur (the thigh bone), called the greater trochanter.
—Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 8 Aug. 2024
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Word History
Etymology
New Latin femor-, femur, from Latin, thigh
First Known Use
1666, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near femur
Cite this Entry
“Femur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/femur. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
femur
noun
fe·mur
ˈfē-mər
plural femurs or femora
ˈfem-(ə-)rə
1
: the long bone of the hind or lower limb extending from the hip to the knee
called also thighbone
2
: the segment of an insect's leg that is third from the body
femoral
adjective
ˈfem-(ə-)rəl
Medical Definition
femur
noun
fe·mur
ˈfē-mər
plural femurs or femora
ˈfem-(ə-)rə
1
: the proximal bone of the hind or lower limb that is the longest and largest bone in the human body, extends from the hip to the knee, articulates above with the acetabulum by a rounded head connected with the shaft of the bone by an oblique neck bearing a pair of trochanters for the attachment of muscles, and articulates with the tibia below by a pair of condyles
called also thigh bone
2
: the segment of an insect's leg that is third from the body
More from Merriam-Webster on femur
Nglish: Translation of femur for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of femur for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about femur
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