ossicle

American  

[os-i-kuhl] / ˈɒs ɪ kəl /

noun

1. a small bone.

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ossicle British  

/ ɒˈsɪkjʊlə, ˈɒsɪkəl /

noun

1. a small bone, esp one of those in the middle ear

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ossicle Scientific  

/ ŏs′ĭ-kəl /

1. A small bone, especially one of the three located in the middle ear (the incus, malleus, and stapes) that transmit sound vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear.

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Other Word Forms

• ossicular adjective
• ossiculate adjective

Etymology

Origin of ossicle

1570–80; < Latin ossiculum, equivalent to ossi- (combining form of os ) bone + -culum -cle ¹

Example Sentences

Otophysan fish improved this pathway by adding small bony "ossicles" that connect the air bladder, often mistakenly called the swim bladder, to the inner ear.

From Science Daily

As the researchers write at one point, despite losing part of the palate and braincase, "the remainder of the skull is well-preserved, even showing a full arrangement of palpebral ossicles in place."

From Salon

You can clearly discern the individual calcite plates, or ossicles, that made up the skeletal frames of these animals when they were alive.

From BBC

In most birds, the individual bones, called scleral ossicles, are simple and fairly square.

From BBC

The opening at the centre of these ossicles is narrow, restricting access for light into the eye and providing strong evidence that Oculudentavis was active in well-lit, daytime environments.

From Nature