ligament

[lig-uh-muh nt] /ˈlɪg ə mənt/
noun
1.
Anatomy, Zoology. a band of tissue, usually white and fibrous, serving to connect bones, hold organs in place, etc.
2.
a tie or bond:
The desire for personal freedom is a ligament uniting all peoples.
Origin
1375-1425; late Middle English < Medieval Latin ligāmentum, Latin: bandage, equivalent to ligā(re) to tie + -mentum -ment
Examples from the web for ligament
  • He suffered a torn medial collateral ligament and posterior cruciate ligament.
  • Earlier this year he tore a ligament in his knee which required orthopedic surgery.
  • Knee ligament injuries can strike at any time and be utterly devastating to an athlete's career.
  • Cross, one of the best blocking tight ends in football, slightly tore a ligament in his knee during the preseason.
  • In a short outpatient procedure, surgeons replace an elbow ligament with a tendon from elsewhere in the body.
  • The desk and the stomach represent the bone the ligament connects.
  • The pivoting nature of soccer puts this ligament at risk.
  • Yesterday, he underwent an operation to repair ligament damage.
  • The break has healed, and the ligament is whole again, but plenty of soreness remains.
  • He felt the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee detach from the bone.
British Dictionary definitions for ligament

ligament

/ˈlɪɡəmənt/
noun
1.
(anatomy) any one of the bands or sheets of tough fibrous connective tissue that restrict movement in joints, connect various bones or cartilages, support muscles, etc
2.
any physical or abstract connection or bond
Word Origin
C14: from Medieval Latin ligāmentum, from Latin (in the sense: bandage), from ligāre to bind
Word Origin and History for ligament
n.

late 14c., from Latin ligamentum "band, tie, ligature," from ligare "to bind, tie," from PIE *leig- "to bind" (cf. Albanian lith "I bind," Middle Low German lik "band," Middle High German geleich "joint, limb"). Related: Ligamental; ligamentary.

ligament in Medicine

ligament lig·a·ment (lĭg'ə-mənt)
n.

  1. A band or sheet of tough fibrous tissue connecting two or more bones, cartilages, or other structures, or serving as support for fasciae or muscles.

  2. A fold of peritoneum supporting any of the abdominal viscera.

  3. The cordlike remains of a fetal vessel or other structure that has lost its original lumen.

lig'a·men'tal (-měn'tl) or lig'a·men'ta·ry (-měn'tə-rē, -měn'trē) or lig'a·men'tous adj.
ligament in Science
ligament
  (lĭg'ə-mənt)   
A sheet or band of tough fibrous tissue that connects two bones or holds an organ of the body in place.
ligament in Culture

ligament definition


A kind of fibrous connective tissue that binds bones or cartilage together.