stapes
noun
sta·pes
ˈstā-(ˌ)pēz 
plural stapes or stapedes
ˈstā-pə-ˌdēz
: the innermost ossicle of the middle ear of mammals
called also stirrup
see ear illustrationExamples of stapes in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The biggest muscle is the gluteus maximus in your buttocks; the smallest is the stapedius, which stabilizes the smallest bone in your body — the stapes bone of the middle ear.
—
Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2022
At first, the stapes was a stout shaft, both conveying groundborne vibrations to the ear and strengthening the skull.
—David George Haskell, Wired, 8 Mar. 2022
Similarly, The Row -- Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen's label designing luxuriously elevated stapes -- will show in Paris for the first time since 2016.
—Leah Dolan, CNN, 28 Feb. 2022
The stapes and malleus are tiny bones that transmit hearing through the inner ear.
—Christopher Linstrom, Discover Magazine, 31 Jan. 2011
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Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2022
At first, the stapes was a stout shaft, both conveying groundborne vibrations to the ear and strengthening the skull.
—David George Haskell, Wired, 8 Mar. 2022
Similarly, The Row -- Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen's label designing luxuriously elevated stapes -- will show in Paris for the first time since 2016.
—Leah Dolan, CNN, 28 Feb. 2022
The stapes and malleus are tiny bones that transmit hearing through the inner ear.
—Christopher Linstrom, Discover Magazine, 31 Jan. 2011
Cite this Entry
“Stapes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stapes. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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Medical Definition
stapes
noun
sta·pes
ˈstā-(ˌ)pēz
plural stapes or stapedes
stə-ˈpē-ˌdēz
: the innermost of the chain of three ossicles in the middle ear of a mammal having the form of a stirrup, a base occupying the oval window, and a head connected with the incus
called also stirrup
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