sesamoid bone
1
6.8
- noun
- /ˈsɛsəˌmɔɪd boʊn/
- Specialized
:
hueso sesamoide
- The doctor explained that a fractured sesamoid bone can cause significant pain in the foot.
Examples
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They use a thumb-like modified sesamoid bone for stability.
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During surgery, the physician removed the damaged sesamoid bone from the patient's knee.
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Athletes often suffer from injuries to their sesamoid bones due to repetitive stress on their joints.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A small round bone inside a band that joins muscle to bone near a joint, like the kneecap
A small round bone inside a tendon where it passes over a joint, often in hands or feet
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is fully compositional: 'sesamoid' denotes a specific type of bone formed within a tendon, and 'bone' names the anatomical category, so the compound meaning is directly derivable from its parts. This is a descriptive, non-idiomatic medical term following regular noun modification patterns, making it immediately comprehensible to learners who know both constituents.
Etymology
Sesamoid bone may come from the tiny seed 'sesame', because sesamoid originally meant 'like a sesame' and these bones are small and round like a seed. That's why sesamoid bone refers to a 'small, round bone' that forms inside a tendon near a joint.