metacarpal

American  

[met-uh-kahr-puhl] / ˌmɛt əˈkɑr pəl /

adjective

Anatomy.

1. of or relating to the metacarpus.

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noun

1. a metacarpal bone.

metacarpal British  

/ ˌmɛtəˈkɑːpəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the metacarpus

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noun

1. a metacarpal bone

metacarpal Scientific  

/ mĕt′ə-kär′pəl /

1. Any of the bones of the hands in humans or the forelimbs in animals that are located between the carpal bones and the phalanges.

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Other Word Forms

• intermetacarpal adjective

Etymology

Origin of metacarpal

First recorded in 1730–40; meta- + carpal

Example Sentences

The move comes 17 days after Machado sustained a fractured metacarpal in his left hand when he was hit by a pitch.

From Washington Times • Jun. 3, 2023

Lockett had the surgery to repair a spiral fracture to his first metacarpal, an injury suffered late in Thursday’s 21-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 20, 2022

Lockett suffered the break — which Carroll described as a spiral crack in his first metacarpal — on Seattle’s final offensive series of Thursday night’s 21-13 loss to the 49ers.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 16, 2022

The second and third metacarpal bones are firmly anchored in place and are immobile.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The number of the metacarpal bones in mammals never exceeds five, but it often falls below it; the same is true for the digits.

From Artistic Anatomy of Animals by Cuyer, ?douard