suspensory

American  

[suh-spen-suh-ree] / səˈspɛn sə ri /

noun

plural

suspensories

1. a supporting bandage, muscle, ligament, etc.

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adjective

1. serving as a suspensory.

2. suspending the operation of something.

suspensory British  

/ səˈspɛnsərɪ /

noun

1. Also called: suspensor.  anatomy a ligament or muscle that holds a structure or part in position

2. med a bandage, sling, etc, for supporting a dependent part

3. another name (esp US) for jockstrap

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adjective

1. suspending or supporting

2. anatomy (of a ligament or muscle) supporting or holding a structure or part in position

Etymology

Origin of suspensory

1535–45; < Latin suspēns ( us ) ( suspense ) + -ory ¹

Example Sentences

Sesamoid bones provide anchor points for the two branches of the suspensory ligament.

From Washington Times • Mar. 5, 2019

Extending from the mesovarium itself is the suspensory ligament that contains the ovarian blood and lymph vessels.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Owned and trained by the same connections, Successful Dan has missed all of 2011 with a suspensory ligament injury.

From Washington Post • Nov. 26, 2011

To Honor and Serve, Mott’s best Derby prospect in years, came up with a strained suspensory ligament in his left foreleg when finishing third in the Florida Derby on April 3.

From New York Times • Apr. 15, 2011

Then Smith asked him to turn sharply left, a trick he had learned to test the suspensory ligaments.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand