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Glite Dictionary
trapezoid bone

trapezoid bone

7.6
A small bone in the wrist under the base of the index finger
  • noun
  • /ˈtræpɪzɔɪd boʊn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : hueso trapezoide
  • Surgeons carefully examined the trapezoid bone during the delicate hand operation.

Examples

  • The trapezoid bone connects with four other bones in the wrist.

  • She fractured her trapezoid bone during the game.

  • An X-ray revealed that the trapezoid bone was fractured after the fall.

  • The trapezoid bone is crucial for wrist movement.

  • An X-ray revealed that the trapezoid bone was fractured after the fall.

  • Surgeons carefully examined the trapezoid bone during the delicate hand operation.

  • The trapezoid bone connects with four other bones in the wrist.

Synonyms

trapezoid
vstrapezoid bone
  • Specialized
1 9.5

A small wrist bone near the base of the index finger

is the same but uses the Latin form rather than English
os trapezoideum
vstrapezoid bone
  • Specialized
9.9

A small bone in the wrist near the base of the index finger

is the same but uses the English anatomical name instead

Surface Forms

trapezoid bone singular
trapezoid bones plural

Morphology

trapezoid + bone

This is a straightforward compositional compound: 'trapezoid' (the specific carpal bone) combined with 'bone' yields the meaning 'the bone called the trapezoid.' Although anatomical vocabulary is specialized, the noun+bone pattern is literal and common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Trapezoid bone is named because the small wrist bone looks like a little trapezoid, a four-sided shape with one pair of sides that run the same way. So the name points to its 'shape' and today refers to that specific bone in the wrist.