labrum

¹ 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 ² American  

[ley-bruhm] / ˈleɪ brəm /

noun

Archaeology.

plural

labra

1. an ornamented bathtub of ancient Rome.

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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

1810–20; < Latin: lip; akin to labium

Origin of labrum²

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

Example Sentences

The 25-year-old Kim suffered a torn labrum in her right shoulder in early January while training in Switzerland.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026

With just one competition under her belt this season, she dislocated her shoulder and sustained a torn labrum in what she described as the "silliest fall" in training in Switzerland last month.

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026

When the halfpipe superstar tore her labrum in her left shoulder in training a month ago, her hopes of becoming the first person to win three consecutive Olympic snowboarding gold medals were in jeopardy.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026

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

From BBC • Jan. 13, 2026

The œsophagus runs parallel to the labrum, and enters obliquely the summit of the stomach, which is destitute of c�ca: the biliary envelope is longitudinally plicated.

From A Monograph on the Sub-class Cirripedia With Figures of all the Species. by Darwin, Charles

Related Words

• rim