epiphysis

[ ih-pif-uh-sis ]

noun,plural e·piph·y·ses [ih-pif-uh-seez]. /ɪˈpɪf əˌsiz/. Anatomy.
  1. a part or process of a bone separated from the main body of the bone by a layer of cartilage and subsequently uniting with the bone through further ossification.

Origin of epiphysis

1
1625–35; <New Latin <Greek epíphysis a growth upon, equivalent to epi-epi- + phýsis growth (phȳ́(ein) to make grow, bring forth, produce + -sis-sis)

Other words from epiphysis

  • ep·i·phys·e·al [ep-uh-fiz-ee-uhl, ih-pif-uh-see-uhl, -zee-], /ˌɛp əˈfɪz i əl, ɪˌpɪf əˈsi əl, -ˈzi-/, ep·i·phys·i·al, adjective

Words Nearby epiphysis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use epiphysis in a sentence

  • It is otherwise known as the "conarium" the "pinus" or "epiphysis."

    The Mystery of Space | Robert T. Browne
  • It bears posteriorly a small epiphysis which is really a detached portion of the inferior arch.

    The Vertebrate Skeleton | Sidney H. Reynolds
  • The radius or pre-axial bone is the larger of the two, and is a rod-like bone terminated at either end by an epiphysis.

    The Vertebrate Skeleton | Sidney H. Reynolds
  • The radius and ulna are nearly equal in size and each consists of a long shaft terminated at either end by an epiphysis.

    The Vertebrate Skeleton | Sidney H. Reynolds
  • The terminal phalanx of each digit has an epiphysis only at its proximal end, the others have them at both ends.

    The Vertebrate Skeleton | Sidney H. Reynolds

British Dictionary definitions for epiphysis

epiphysis

/ (ɪˈpɪfɪsɪs) /


nounplural -ses (-ˌsiːz)
  1. the end of a long bone, initially separated from the shaft (diaphysis) by a section of cartilage that eventually ossifies so that the two portions fuse together

  2. Also called: epiphysis cerebri (ˈsɛrɪˌbraɪ) the technical name for pineal gland

Origin of epiphysis

1
C17: via New Latin from Greek: a growth upon, from epi- + phusis growth, from phuein to bring forth, produce

Derived forms of epiphysis

  • epiphyseal or epiphysial (ˌɛpɪˈfɪzɪəl), 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