tibia
Americannoun
plural
tibiae, tibias-
Anatomy. the inner of the two bones of the leg, that extend from the knee to the ankle and articulate with the femur and the talus; shinbone.
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Zoology.
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a corresponding bone in a horse or other hoofed quadruped, extending from the stifle to the hock.
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(in insects) the fourth segment of the leg, between the femur and tarsus.
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noun
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Also called: shinbone. the inner and thicker of the two bones of the human leg between the knee and ankle Compare fibula
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the corresponding bone in other vertebrates
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the fourth segment of an insect's leg, lying between the femur and the tarsus
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tibia
First recorded in 1685–95, tibia is from the Latin word tībia literally, reed pipe
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Vocabulary lists containing tibia
Human Anatomy and Physiology - High School
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Human Anatomy and Physiology - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They include a few isolated sauropod teeth, scattered bones likely from a sauropod, and two finds near Knysna: the theropod tooth discovered earlier and part of a tibia.
From Science Daily • Apr. 24, 2026
“Basically, I had a complex tibia fracture. I also fractured my fibular head, my tibial plateau — just kind of everything was in pieces,” she said.
From Salon • Feb. 23, 2026
Brignone's participation in the Olympics was in doubt as recently as three weeks ago due to the double fracture of the tibia in her left leg from a crash in a race in April 2025.
From Barron's • Feb. 15, 2026
American skier Lindsey Vonn says she has "no regrets" after a crash in the women's downhill competition at the Winter Olympics resulted in a "complex tibia fracture" which will require multiple surgeries.
From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026
I learned that the bones in the leg are the femur, the tibia, the patella, and the fibula.
From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
