Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
metacarpus

metacarpus

9.1
Five bones in the hand that connect the wrist to the fingers
  • noun
  • /ˌmɛtəˈkɑrpəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : metacarpo
  • A fracture in the metacarpus can make it difficult to grip objects.

Examples

  • The surgeon explained that the injury was located in the metacarpus, affecting the bones between the wrist and fingers.

  • Here, the forelimb proportions are similar to those of the large Quetzalcoatlus, from the short, robust humerus to the elongated forelimb and metacarpus.

    Blog text (18)

  • Metacarpus.

    The Battle of the River Plate (1956)

  • He pointed to the metacarpus to show where the bone had been broken during the accident.

Compounds

vena metacarpus
  • Specialized
8.9

A vein on the back or palm of the hand that carries blood

Surface Forms

metacarpus singular
metacarpi plural

Morphology

metacarpus = carpus (opaque) = meta + carpus

The word is built from meta- + carpus, but the specialized anatomical meaning is not readily inferable for an average learner.

Etymology

Metacarpus comes from the Greek parts meta- meaning 'after' or 'beyond' and carpus meaning 'wrist', the same root you see in carpal as in 'carpal tunnel'. So the metacarpus is literally the group of bones 'beyond the wrist', the bones between the wrist and the fingers.