meniscus

[ mi-nis-kuhs ]
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noun,plural me·nis·ci [mi-nis-ahy, -nis-kahy, -kee], /mɪˈnɪs aɪ, -ˈnɪs kaɪ, -ki/, me·nis·cus·es.
  1. a crescent or a crescent-shaped body.

  2. the convex or concave upper surface of a column of liquid, the curvature of which is caused by surface tension.

  1. Optics. a lens with a crescent-shaped section; a concavo-convex or convexo-concave lens.

  2. Anatomy. a disk of cartilage between the articulating ends of the bones in a joint.

Origin of meniscus

1
1685–95; <New Latin <Greek mēnískos crescent, diminutive of mḗnē moon

Other words from meniscus

  • me·nis·coid [mi-nis-koid], /mɪˈnɪs kɔɪd/, adjective

Words Nearby meniscus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use meniscus in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for meniscus

meniscus

/ (mɪˈnɪskəs) /


nounplural -nisci (-ˈnɪsaɪ) or -niscuses
  1. the curved upper surface of a liquid standing in a tube, produced by the surface tension

  2. a crescent or half-moon-shaped body or design

  1. a crescent-shaped fibrous cartilage between the bones at certain joints, esp at the knee

  2. a crescent-shaped lens; a concavo-convex or convexo-concave lens

Origin of meniscus

1
C17: from New Latin, from Greek mēniskos crescent, diminutive of mēnē moon

Derived forms of meniscus

  • meniscoid, adjective

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 meniscus

meniscus

[ mə-nĭskəs ]


Plural menisci (mə-nĭsī, -kī, -kē) meniscuses
  1. A lens that is concave on one side and convex on the other.

  2. The curved upper surface of a column of liquid in a container. The surface is concave if the molecules of the liquid are attracted to the container walls and convex if they are not. See also surface tension.

  1. A piece of cartilage shaped like a crescent and located at the junction of two bones in a joint. The meniscus acts to absorb shock.

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