unciform

[ uhn-suh-fawrm ]

adjective

1. hook-shaped.

unciform

/ ˈʌnsɪˌfɔːm /

adjective

1. anatomy zoology having the shape of a hook

noun

1. Also calledhamate bone anatomy any hook-shaped structure or part, esp a small bone of the wrist ( unciform bone )

Word History and Origins

Origin of unciform¹

1725–35; < New Latin unciformis, equivalent to Latin unc ( us ) a hook, barb (cognate with Greek ónkos ) + -i- -i- + -formis -form

Word History and Origins

Origin of unciform¹

C18: from New Latin unciformis, from Latin uncus a hook

Example Sentences

In the carpus the os magnum articulates freely with the scaphoid, and is separated from the cuneiform by the lunar and unciform.

From Project Gutenberg

The final bone of that series, the unciform, seems to represent two bones fused.

From Project Gutenberg