labrum

¹ American  

[ley-bruhm] / ˈleɪ brəm /

noun

Archaeology.

plural

labra

1. an ornamented bathtub of ancient Rome.

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labrum ² American  

[ley-bruhm, lab-ruhm] / ˈleɪ brəm, ˈlæb rəm /

noun

plural

labra

1. a lip or liplike part.

2. Zoology.

   1. the anterior, unpaired member of the mouthparts of an arthropod, projecting in front of the mouth.

   2. the outer margin of the aperture of a shell of a gastropod.

3. Anatomy. a ring of cartilage about the edge of a joint surface of a bone.

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labrum British  

/ ˈlæb-, ˈleɪbrəm /

noun

1. a lip or liplike part, such as the cuticular plate forming the upper lip of insects

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Etymology

Origin of labrum¹

< Latin lābrum basin, contraction of lavābrum bathtub, equivalent to lavā ( re ) to wash + -brum instrumental suffix

Origin of labrum¹

1810–20; < Latin: lip; akin to labium

Example Sentences

She said her labrum injury is less serious than feared, though it will prevent her from training before the Games.

From BBC

Graterol, 27, missed the 2025 season after undergoing surgery on the labrum in his right shoulder in November 2024.

From Los Angeles Times

Hart sustained a torn labrum against the Houston Texans in the playoffs, but said he expects to be cleared to return around mandatory minicamp, which begins June 10.

From Los Angeles Times

That spring, Bates had watched a relationship blossom between Pages, a then 23-year-old prospect who had bounced back miraculously fast from a labrum surgery the previous season, and Hernández, an All-Star veteran who had signed with the club that winter at age 31 in search of a bounce-back performance.

From Los Angeles Times

When Ohtani tore his labrum sliding into second base in Game 2 of the World Series, it further delayed his timeline, requiring him to spend the early part of the winter rehabbing that injury after undergoing surgery in the first week of November.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• rim