frenum

American  

[free-nuhm] / ˈfri nəm /

noun

Anatomy, Zoology.

frena plural

1. a fold of membrane that checks or restrains the motion of a part, such as the fold on the underside of the tongue.

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frenum British  

/ ˈfriːnəm /

noun

1. a variant spelling (esp US) of fraenum

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• frena
  plural

Etymology

Origin of frenum

First recorded in 1655–65; New Latin, from Latin fraenum, frēnum “bridle, restraint,” of disputed origin

Compare meaning

How does frenum compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• frenum vs. frenulum

Example Sentences

I used to curl up my tongue in front of the mirror and tauten my frenum into a white line, itself as thin as a razor blade.

From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston

If my mother was not lying she should have cut more, scraped away the rest of the frenum skin, because I have a terrible time talking.

From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston

In the vast majority of cases nothing is found to be wrong with the frenum.

From Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities—Head—Neck. Sixth Edition. by Miles, Alexander

Aetius, the first prominent Christian physician of whom we have any record, divided the frenum of the tongue.

From Psychotherapy by Walsh, James J. (James Joseph)

The authors have knowledge of a case in which hemorrhage from the frenum proved fatal.

From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Pyle, Walter L. (Walter Lytle)