acetabulum

American  

[as-i-tab-yuh-luhm] / ˌæs ɪˈtæb yə ləm /

noun

plural

acetabula

1. Anatomy. the socket in the hipbone that receives the head of the thighbone.

2. Zoology. any of the suction appendages of a leech, octopus, etc.

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acetabulum British  

/ ˌæsɪˈtæbjʊləm /

noun

1. the deep cuplike cavity on the side of the hipbone that receives the head of the thighbone

2. a round muscular sucker in flatworms, leeches, and cephalopod molluscs

3. the aperture in the thorax of an insect that holds the leg

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Other Word Forms

• acetabular adjective
• postacetabular adjective
• preacetabular adjective
• subacetabular adjective

Etymology

Origin of acetabulum

1660–70; < Latin: hip socket, cup-shaped part of a plant (Pliny), literally, small cup, originally for vinegar, equivalent to acēt ( um ) vinegar + -ā- by analogy with verbal derivatives ( vocable ) + -bulum suffix denoting instrument or vessel

Example Sentences

McCarthy’s voluminous research is everywhere on the page — and, yes, very impressive — but you may find yourself stopping to look up supercavitation, acetabulum or festination only to turn back having forgotten what’s happening.

From Washington Post • Nov. 15, 2021

The head of the femur becomes abnormally shaped and no longer fits seamlessly in the acetabulum, or socket, putting the hip at risk of future injury.

From Washington Post • May 15, 2017

The acetabulum is further deepened by the acetabular labrum, a fibrocartilage lip attached to the outer margin of the acetabulum.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The three areas of each hip bone, the ilium, pubis, and ischium, converge centrally to form a deep, cup-shaped cavity called the acetabulum.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Each leg is composed of various parts, and articulates into a cavity of the thorax called the acetabulum.

From Wild Bees, Wasps and Ants and Other Stinging Insects by Saunders, Edward