femur

[fee-mer]

noun

plural

femurs, femora 

1. Anatomy.,  a bone in the human leg extending from the pelvis to the knee, that is the longest, largest, and strongest in the body; thighbone.

2. Zoology.,  a corresponding bone of the leg or hind limb of an animal.

3. Entomology.,  the third segment of the leg of an insect (counting from the base), situated between the trochanter and the tibia.

femur

/ ˈfiːmə /

noun

1. Nontechnical name: thighbone. the longest thickest bone of the human skeleton, articulating with the pelvis above and the knee below

2. the corresponding bone in other vertebrates

3. the segment of an insect's leg nearest to the body

femur

1. The long bone of the thigh or of the upper portion of the hind leg.

2. See more at skeleton

Word History and Origins

Origin of femur¹

1555–65; < Latin: thigh

Word History and Origins

Origin of femur¹

C18: from Latin: thigh

Example Sentences

George feels it's helped him stay mobile since recovering from a leg-lengthening operation where a nail was put through his femur bone, after he was born with one leg shorter than the other.

From BBC

The body’s largest bone is the femur – the thigh bone.

From BBC

He explained that the remains would have been mixed together and that an infant's femur - the body's largest bone - is only the size of an adult's finger.

From BBC

The paramedics explained Antonio was discovered on the back seat of the car and "quickly assessed" to have had fractured his femur.

From BBC

The head of the newly-opened Syrian Identification Centre is standing next to two tables, covered in femurs.

From BBC

Related Words

• groin