tendon

American  

[ten-duhn] / ˈtɛn dən /

noun

1. Anatomy. a cord or band of dense, tough, inelastic, white, fibrous tissue, serving to connect a muscle with a bone or part; sinew.

2. a reinforcing strand in prestressed concrete.

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tendon British  

/ ˈtɛndən /

noun

1. a cord or band of white inelastic collagenous tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone or some other part; sinew

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tendon Scientific  

/ tĕn′dən /

1. A band of tough, fibrous, inelastic tissue that connects a muscle to a bone. Tendons are made chiefly of collagen.

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tendon Cultural  

1. A tough band of fibrous connective tissue that connects muscles to bones.

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Etymology

Origin of tendon

1535–45; < Medieval Latin tendōn- (stem of tendō ) < Greek ténōn sinew (spelling with -d- by association with Latin tendere to stretch)

Compare meaning

How does tendon compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• aponeurosis vs. tendon
• tendon vs. ligament

Explanation

If you feel the back of your ankle, you will find the tough, ropelike tendon that joins your calf muscle to your heel bone. That's the job of tendons throughout your body: connecting bone and muscle so you can move. Consider that the Latin word tendere means "to stretch." That's an apt beginning for the word tendon, a tough but stretchy fibrous tissue (sinew). A tendon is made of dense bundles of fibrous collagen that form ropelike connectors that allow muscles and bones to work together. Athletes often suffer injuries to tendons, most often to the rotator cuff in the shoulder, the Achilles tendon in the leg, the patellar tendon in the knee, and the biceps muscle in the arm.

Example Sentences

The 28-year-old finished third in 2024 but, after placing fourth at the marathon in the Paris Olympics, was also forced to miss last year's race in London because of an ankle tendon issue.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

He suffered a ruptured left Achilles tendon in March 2025 and underwent back surgery last October.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

He missed all of the PGA season last year as he recovered from a 2024 back surgery and surgery in March 2025 for a ruptured Achilles tendon.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

Just three years ago, the Mets lost closer Edwin Díaz for the entire 2023 campaign after he tore a tendon in his knee celebrating a Puerto Rico victory in the same tournament.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Ever since I tore my ACL in October and had the surgery to reattach the tendon, I haven’t been able to do anything in PE.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day

Related Words

• hamstring
• ligament
• sinew
• tissue