trochanter

[ troh-kan-ter ]

noun
  1. Anatomy. either of two knobs at the top of the femur, the greater on the outside and the lesser on the inside, serving for the attachment of muscles between the thigh and pelvis.

  2. Zoology. any similar prominence on the femur in many other vertebrates.

  1. Entomology. (in an insect) the usually small second segment of the leg, between the coxa and femur.

Origin of trochanter

1
1605–15; <New Latin <Greek trochantḗr ball on which the hip bone turns in its socket

Other words from trochanter

  • tro·chan·ter·ic [troh-kuhn-ter-ik], /ˌtroʊ kənˈtɛr ɪk/, tro·chan·ter·al, adjective
  • sub·tro·chan·ter·ic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for trochanter

trochanter

/ (trəʊˈkæntə) /


noun
  1. any of several processes on the upper part of the vertebrate femur, to which muscles are attached

  2. the third segment of an insect's leg

Origin of trochanter

1
C17: via French from Greek trokhantēr, from trekhein to run

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012