carpal

American  

[kahr-puhl] / ˈkɑr pəl /

adjective

1. pertaining to the carpus.

   the carpal joint.

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noun

1. a carpale.

carpal British  

/ ˈkɑːpəl /

noun

1. Also: carpale. 

   1. any bone of the wrist

   2. ( as modifier )

      carpal bones

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carpal Scientific  

/ kär′pəl /

1. Relating to or involving the wrist.

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1. Any of the bones of the human wrist or the joint corresponding to the wrist in some other vertebrates, such as dinosaurs.

Other Word Forms

• intercarpal adjective
• supercarpal adjective

Etymology

Origin of carpal

From the New Latin word carpālis, dating back to 1735–45. See carpus, -al ¹

Example Sentences

And don’t get me started on my strained hand with carpal tunnel syndrome from all the clicking.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Other restricted procedures include liposuction, breast reduction, removal of breast implants, carpal tunnel and tattoo removal.

From BBC • Oct. 8, 2025

Left untreated, muscles that are stressed and deconditioned can lead to painful soft tissue problems, such as tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome, as well as chronic lower back pain.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 7, 2025

I await transfer to the hospital for a carpal tunnel appointment.

From Slate • Dec. 14, 2023

So he had had disk surgery, rotator cuff surgery, surgery for a carpal tunnel problem.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times