patella
Americannoun
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Anatomy. the flat, movable bone at the front of the knee; kneecap.
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Biology. a panlike or cuplike formation.
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Zoology. any limpet of the family Patellidae.
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Archaeology. a small pan or shallow vessel.
noun
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Nontechnical name: kneecap. anatomy a small flat triangular bone in front of and protecting the knee joint
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biology a cuplike structure, such as the spore-producing body of certain ascomycetous fungi
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archaeol a small pan
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of patella
1665–75; < Latin, diminutive of patina, patena pan, literally, something wide open. See paten, -elle
Explanation
The patella is the protective bone at the front of your knee. Next time you bang your leg on the edge of the coffee table, you can say, "Ow, my patella!" The patella is more commonly called a "kneecap." This bone resembles a triangle with rounded corners, perfectly shaped to protect your knee joint from injury. When you were born, your patella was just soft cartilage, but it hardened as you grew. Like humans, many other animals also have patellas, including mice, dogs — and even birds!
Vocabulary lists containing patella
Gross, Anatomy!
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Human Anatomy and Physiology - High School
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Human Anatomy and Physiology - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Dejan Kulusevski - one of Spurs' most dangerous game-changers - never played a minute under Frank because of surgery on a patella injury sustained last season.
From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026
“I’ve been dealing with patella tendinitis the entire season but over the weeks the pain has decreased,” Webster said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2025
It isn’t on the usual ‘wallet-phone-keys’ checklist, but, if you can’t locate a patella, it quickly becomes a pressing concern.
From BBC • Oct. 30, 2024
Rivera said Obada is dealing with a patella injury, though added said he anticipated the injury being on the shorter side rather than costing him the season.
From Washington Times • Aug. 31, 2023
“Coxa, trochanter, femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, and tarsus.”
From "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
