tendon

American  

[ten-duhn] / ˈtɛn dən /

noun

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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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:

• aponeurosis vs. tendon
• tendon vs. ligament

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

Kimpembe, a PSG defender who has 28 caps, has been hampered by a six-week hamstring injury and a recent Achilles Tendon problem.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 9, 2022

Runner up: Short Rib Steak & Slow-Roast Tendon with “street taco” red sauce is topped with a bright, green onion salad.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 6, 2014

Tendon sheaths contain a lubricating fluid and surround tendons to allow for smooth movement of the tendon as it crosses a joint.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Tendon disorders, the focus of the two new studies, account for as many as half of sports injuries.

From New York Times • Jan. 13, 2010

If the Wound be heal'd, it must be open'd again to discover the Tendon, and the Part must be bended, to draw together again the ends of the Tendons.

From The Compleat Surgeon or, the whole Art of Surgery explain'd in a most familiar Method. by Le Clerc, Charles Gabriel

Related Words

• hamstring
• ligament
• sinew
• tissue