olecranon

[ oh-lek-ruh-non, oh-li-krey-non ]

nounAnatomy.

the part of the ulna beyond the elbow joint.

Origin of olecranon

1720–30; <New Latin <Greek ōlékrānon point of the elbow, short for ōlenókrānon, equivalent to ōlén(ē) elbow + -o--o- + krān(íon) head (see cranium) + -on neuter noun suffix

Other words from olecranon

o·lec·ra·nal [oh-lek-ruh-nl, oh-li-kreyn-l], /oʊˈlɛk rə nl, ˌoʊ lɪˈkreɪn l/, o·le·cra·ni·al, o·le·cra·ni·an, o·le·cra·ni·oid, adjective

Words Nearby olecranon

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use olecranon in a sentence

Insertion of this large muscular mass is effected by means of several tendons to the olecranon.
Lameness of the Horse | John Victor Lacroix
The ulna or postaxial bone is somewhat expanded distally, but is not drawn out proximally into an olecranon process.
The Vertebrate Skeleton | Sidney H. Reynolds
Its proximal end is large and convex, but is not drawn out into an olecranon process.
The Vertebrate Skeleton | Sidney H. Reynolds
The ulna of Notoryctes has an enormous hooked olecranon which causes the bone to be nearly twice as long as the radius.
The Vertebrate Skeleton | Sidney H. Reynolds
In the Carnivora vera the humerus has large tuberosities, a prominent deltoid ridge and a deep olecranon fossa.
The Vertebrate Skeleton | Sidney H. Reynolds

British Dictionary definitions for olecranon

olecranon

/ (əʊˈlɛkrəˌnɒn, ˌəʊlɪˈkreɪnən) /

noun

anatomy the bony projection of the ulna behind the elbow joint

Origin of olecranon

C18: from Greek, shortened from ōlenokrānon, from ōlenē elbow + krānion head

Derived forms of olecranon

olecranal (əʊˈlɛkrənəl, ˌəʊlɪˈkreɪnəl), 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

Browse