stapes

[stey-peez]

noun

Anatomy.

plural

stapes, stapedes 

1. 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.

stapes

/ ˈsteɪpiːz, stæˈpiːdɪəl /

noun

1. Nontechnical name: stirrup bone. the stirrup-shaped bone that is the innermost of three small bones in the middle ear of mammals Compare incus malleus

stapes

plural

stapes 

1. The roughly stirrup-shaped bone that is the innermost of the three small bones (ossicles) of the middle ear.

Other Word Forms

• stapedial adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of stapes¹

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”; foot

Word History and Origins

Origin of stapes¹

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