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

Example Sentences

In a recent study, the research team examined whether vibrating specific tendons could lower the perceived effort of cycling.

From Science Daily

I stood up to shake off the pain and tweaked my right Achilles tendon, so I headed for the medicine cabinet, bent over like an ape because of a stiff back.

From Los Angeles Times

Calf injuries, even the most minor, have been major concerns for the NBA since three stars suffered Achilles tendon tears during last season’s playoffs.

From Los Angeles Times

The Colts came calling after starter Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon last Sunday and rookie backup Riley Leonard sustained an undisclosed knee injury.

From Los Angeles Times

They had just lost starting quarterback Daniel Jones to a torn Achilles tendon, and rookie backup Riley Leonard suffered an undisclosed knee injury in relief.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• hamstring
• ligament
• sinew
• tissue