osteophyte

American

[os-tee-uh-fahyt] / ˈɒs ti əˌfaɪt /

noun

Pathology.

a small, bony outgrowth on a bone, especially at or near a joint as a result of osteoarthritis; bone spur.

osteophyte British

/ ˌɒstɪəˈfɪtɪk, ˈɒstɪəˌfaɪt /

noun

a small abnormal bony outgrowth

"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

Other Word Forms

osteophytic

adjective

Etymology

Origin of osteophyte

First recorded in 1840–50; osteo- + -phyte

Vocabulary lists containing osteophyte

Body Language: Os, Osteo ("Bone")

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Bones may occasionally grow in such a profuse and irregular manner that the product, or osteophyte, assumes the character of a tumor.

From Special Report on Diseases of Cattle by United States. Bureau of Animal Industry

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023