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hamate

American  
[hey-meyt] / ˈheɪ meɪt /

adjective

Anatomy.
  1. hook-shaped.

  2. having a hooklike process.


hamate British  
/ ˈheɪmeɪt /

adjective

  1. rare hook-shaped

"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

Etymology

Origin of hamate

1735–45; < Latin hāmātus hooked, equivalent to hām ( us ) hook + -ātus -ate 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

“That may make a noticeable difference in a professional athlete,” said Dr. Tom DiLiberti, an orthopaedic surgeon in Dallas who performs hamate procedures on major leaguers.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 25, 2026

By holding the bat this way, the full weight of the knob drives into the hamate with every swing, slowly destabilizing it.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 25, 2026

Nationals: C Riley Adams underwent surgery to repair a fractured hamate bone in his left wrist.

From Washington Times Sep. 11, 2023

Mike Trout has been limited to 82 games this season after fracturing his left hamate bone in July.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 10, 2023

Spores of Bacidia umbrina to illustrate the several-celled, hyaline, hamate or spirally twisted type.

From Ohio Biological Survey, Bull. 10, Vol. 11, No. 6 The Ascomycetes of Ohio IV and V by Leafy Jane Corrington Hilker

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