ligament

[ lig-uh-muhnt ]

noun

1. Anatomy, Zoology. a band of tissue, usually white and fibrous, serving to connect bones, hold organs in place, etc.
2. a tie or bond:

   The desire for personal freedom is a ligament uniting all peoples.

ligament

/ ˈlɪɡəmənt /

noun

1. anatomy any one of the bands or sheets of tough fibrous connective tissue that restrict movement in joints, connect various bones or cartilages, support muscles, etc
2. any physical or abstract connection or bond

ligament

/ lĭg′ə-mənt /

1. A sheet or band of tough fibrous tissue that connects two bones or holds an organ of the body in place.

ligament

1. A kind of fibrous connective tissue that binds bones or cartilage together.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ligament¹

1375–1425; late Middle English < Medieval Latin ligāmentum, Latin: bandage, equivalent to ligā ( re ) to tie + -mentum -ment

Word History and Origins

Origin of ligament¹

C14: from Medieval Latin ligāmentum, from Latin (in the sense: bandage), from ligāre to bind

Example Sentences

Our tendons, ligaments, and muscles are happiest when they’re gliding, contracting, and relaxing in healthy patterns.

From Outside Online

In a second version of the simulation, the team virtually rejoined the two pieces of the prearticular with bone rather than ligaments.

From Science News

It may be tempting to see hormonal contraceptives as a ligament protector, since they suppress the highest peaks in estrogen.

From Outside Online

She fractured multiple vertebrae in her back, cracked ribs, and broke both feet, in addition to severely tearing a ligament in her right foot.

From Outside Online

That stress creates microtraumas as muscles, ligaments, and tendons all start to stretch or compress in ways they are not supposed to, he explains.

From Popular-Science

That night Gasol hobbled off his home court with a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

From The Daily Beast

Weeks later, doctors reexamined the shoulder and found a partial ligament tear, she said.

From The Daily Beast

Daniel Webster said justice is the ligament which holds civilized beings and civilized nations together.

From The Daily Beast

That action puts a stress in the anterior cruciate ligament.

From The Daily Beast

A ceratohyal then is attached posteriorly to the hypohyal and a stylohyal ligament is attached to each ceratohyal posteriorly.

From Project Gutenberg

His eyes shone, his chin was thrust forward, every ligament in his body was strung taut.

From Project Gutenberg

If the ligament of a gaping bivalve should become dry and stiff, it can be softened by putting it in water.

From Project Gutenberg

When bivalves gape on dying in water, or if the ligament be broken, the valves should be closed and tied together.

From Project Gutenberg

Care should be taken not to injure the edge or lip of the mouth of univalves, or the ligament of the hinge of bivalves.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• association
• channel
• contact
• element
• hookup
• network
• relationship
• tie