ulna

[ uhl-nuh ]
See synonyms for ulna on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural ul·nae [uhl-nee], /ˈʌl ni/, ul·nas.
  1. Anatomy. the bone of the forearm on the side opposite to the thumb.: Compare radius (def. 7).

  2. a corresponding bone in the forelimb of other vertebrates.

Origin of ulna

1
1835–45; <Latin: elbow; akin to Greek ōlénē,Old English elnell2

Other words from ulna

  • ulnar, adjective
  • post·ul·nar, adjective

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

How to use ulna in a sentence

  • The bones on which this species is founded are a pair of ulnae, one radius, four metatarsi, and one coracoid.

    Extinct Birds | Walter Rothschild

British Dictionary definitions for ulna

ulna

/ (ˈʌlnə) /


nounplural -nae (-niː) or -nas
  1. the inner and longer of the two bones of the human forearm

  2. the corresponding bone in other vertebrates

Origin of ulna

1
C16: from Latin: elbow, ell 1

Derived forms of ulna

  • ulnar, adjective

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

Scientific definitions for ulna

ulna

[ ŭl ]


Plural ulnas ulnae (ŭl)
  1. The longer of the two bones of the forearm or lower portion of the foreleg. See more at skeleton.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.