ligament

[ lig-uh-muhnt ]
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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.

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Origin of ligament

1
1375–1425; late Middle English <Medieval Latin ligāmentum,Latin: bandage, equivalent to ligā(re) to tie + -mentum-ment

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British Dictionary definitions for ligament

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

Origin of ligament

1
C14: from Medieval Latin ligāmentum, from Latin (in the sense: bandage), from ligāre to bind

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

Scientific definitions for ligament

ligament

[ lĭgə-mənt ]


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

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for ligament

ligament

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

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.