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stapes
[ stey-peez ]
/ ˈsteɪ piz /
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noun, plural sta·pes, sta·pe·des [stuh-pee-deez]. /stəˈpi diz/. Anatomy.
the innermost, stirrup-shaped bone of a chain of three small bones in the middle ear of humans and other mammals, involved in the conduction of sound vibrations to the inner ear.
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Also called stirrup .
Compare incus (def. 1), malleus.
Origin of stapes
First recorded in 1660–70; from New Latin stapēs, Medieval Latin: “stirrup,” perhaps etymologizing alteration of Italian staffa “stirrup” (from Germanic ) by association with Latin stāre “to stand,” and pēs, stem ped- “foot”; see foot
OTHER WORDS FROM stapes
sta·pe·di·al [stuh-pee-dee-uhl], /stəˈpi di əl/, adjectiveWords nearby stapes
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use stapes in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for stapes
stapes
/ (ˈsteɪpiːz) /
noun plural stapes or stapedes (stæˈpiːdiːz)
Derived forms of stapes
stapedial (stæˈpiːdɪəl), adjectiveWord Origin for stapes
C17: via New Latin from Medieval Latin, perhaps a variant of staffa, stapeda stirrup, influenced in form by Latin stāre to stand + pēs a foot
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 stapes
stapes
[ stā′pēz ]
Plural stapes stapedes (stā′pĭ-dēz′)
The roughly stirrup-shaped bone that is the innermost of the three small bones (ossicles) of the middle ear.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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