tendon

American  

[ten-duhn] / ˈtɛn dən /

noun

• tendons
  plural

1. Anatomy. a cord or band of dense, tough, inelastic, white, fibrous tissue, serving to connect a muscle with a bone or part; sinew.

2. a reinforcing strand in prestressed concrete.

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tendon British  

/ ˈtɛndən /

noun

1. a cord or band of white inelastic collagenous tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone or some other part; sinew

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tendon Scientific  

/ tĕn′dən /

1. A band of tough, fibrous, inelastic tissue that connects a muscle to a bone. Tendons are made chiefly of collagen.

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tendon Cultural  

1. A tough band of fibrous connective tissue that connects muscles to bones.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tendons
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tendon

1535–45; < Medieval Latin tendōn- (stem of tendō ) < Greek ténōn sinew (spelling with -d- by association with Latin tendere to stretch)

Compare meaning

How does tendon compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• tendon vs. ligament
• aponeurosis vs. tendon

Explanation

If you feel the back of your ankle, you will find the tough, ropelike tendon that joins your calf muscle to your heel bone. That's the job of tendons throughout your body: connecting bone and muscle so you can move. Consider that the Latin word tendere means "to stretch." That's an apt beginning for the word tendon, a tough but stretchy fibrous tissue (sinew). A tendon is made of dense bundles of fibrous collagen that form ropelike connectors that allow muscles and bones to work together. Athletes often suffer injuries to tendons, most often to the rotator cuff in the shoulder, the Achilles tendon in the leg, the patellar tendon in the knee, and the biceps muscle in the arm.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tendon tendons

So, on Sept. 25, 1974, Jobe took a tendon from John’s right arm, threaded it through holes he had drilled in John’s left elbow and hoped it all would work.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Hunched over sizzling grills and shrouded in smoke, trainees at the Yueyang Barbecue Academy in southern China roast skewer after skewer of succulent beef tendon, perfecting the skills that could land them a restaurant job.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

He was given his first start of the World Cup against Panama, lasting 63 minute while continuing to nurse an Achilles tendon problem.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

After pulling a tendon in his thumb while goalkeeping, he doesn't ask for pain relief.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

The only one seem to pay her any tendon at all is Harpo and Squeak’s little girl, Suzie Q. She sit cross from Sofia and squinch up her eyes at her.

From "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker

“If you’re training plyometrics, you’re training the explosivity of your tendons, and that’s bulletproofing whatever joint that tendon is attached to — the tendons in your foot or ankle or hip,” Altman says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

The unnatural act of throwing a baseball still tears tendons and wrenches elbows.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

In other insects, it helps form durable structures such as wing hinges and tendons that must bend repeatedly without wearing out.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026

It supports and strengthens skin, nails, bones and connective tissues, including tendons and cartilage.

From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2026

You are really a collection of parts: organs and bones, tendons and teeth.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

Related Words

• hamstring
• ligament
• sinew
• tissue