patella

noun

pa·​tel·​la pə-ˈte-lə How to pronounce patella (audio)
plural patellae pə-ˈte-(ˌ)lē How to pronounce patella (audio) -ˌlī How to pronounce patella (audio) or patellas
: a thick flat triangular movable bone that forms the anterior point of the knee and protects the front of the joint : kneecap
… the quadriceps are attached at the anterior and anterior lateral aspect of the patella and are extensors of the knee joint.John B. Rizzotto
… a few horses suffer from a slipping of the patella—the little bone on the front of the stifle that is similar to the human kneecap—locking the joint so that it cannot flex properly.Heather Smith Thomas
The human knee is specialized for walking upright too: to compensate for the thighbone's being at an angle, there's a lump, or groove, at the end of the femur that prevents the patella from sliding off the joint.Michael D. Lemonick and Andrea Dorfman
patellar adjective

Examples of patella in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The German goalkeeper suffered a ruptured patella tendon during Sunday’s La Liga victory against Villarreal and is expected to be out for several months. Manuel Veth, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024 Three months before that World Cup, one the U.S. exited in the round of 16 for the first time, Swanson tore the patella tendon in her left knee. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2024 And Swanson’s had a long road to this moment, tearing her left patella tendon in April 2023. Rachel G Bowers, USA TODAY, 11 Aug. 2024 The point at which the femur (leg bone) and patella (kneebone) connect is cushioned with articular cartilage.2 This helps the knee and leg move smoothly together and protects your knees from injury. ​wendy Wisner, Parents, 30 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for patella 

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from diminutive of patina shallow dish

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of patella was in 1634

Dictionary Entries Near patella

Cite this Entry

“Patella.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patella. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

patella

noun
pa·​tel·​la pə-ˈtel-ə How to pronounce patella (audio)
plural patellae -ˈtel-ē How to pronounce patella (audio)
-ˌī
or patellas

Medical Definition

patella

noun
pa·​tel·​la pə-ˈtel-ə How to pronounce patella (audio)
plural patellae -ˈtel-(ˌ)ē How to pronounce patella (audio) -ˌī How to pronounce patella (audio) or patellas
: a thick flat triangular movable bone that forms the anterior point of the knee, protects the front of the joint, increases the leverage of the quadriceps, and is usually regarded as a sesamoid bone since it is developed in the tendon of the quadriceps and in structure is similar to other sesamoid bones

called also kneecap, kneepan

patellar adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on patella

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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