malleolus

American  

[muh-lee-uh-luhs] / məˈli ə ləs /

noun

Anatomy.

plural

malleoli

1. the bony protuberance on either side of the ankle, at the lower end of the fibula or of the tibia.

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malleolus British  

/ məˈliːələs /

noun

1. either of two rounded bony projections of the tibia and fibula on the sides of each ankle joint

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Other Word Forms

• malleolar adjective

Etymology

Origin of malleolus

1685–95; < Latin: small hammer, mallet, equivalent to malle ( us ) hammer + -olus -ole ¹

Example Sentences

The expanded distal end of the fibula is the lateral malleolus.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

In this injury, the very strong deltoid ligament does not tear, but instead shears off the medial malleolus of the tibia.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The outside area of his foot beneath and around the lateral malleolus was the first to require any real contortion.

From The New Yorker • Feb. 28, 2011

An MRI scan on Thursday revealed a break in the medial malleolus, on the inside part of Yao's ankle, but the 30-year-old Chinese has not yet decided on how he wants to proceed.

From Reuters • Dec. 18, 2010

Dr. M. Buchanan of Glasgow has described an operation by which the joint can be excised through a single incision over the external malleolus.

From A Manual of the Operations of Surgery For the Use of Senior Students, House Surgeons, and Junior Practitioners by Bell, Joseph