Main Entry: me·nis·cus

Pronunciation: \mə-ˈnis-kəs\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural me·nis·ci \-ˈnis-ˌ(k)ī, -ˌkē\ also me·nis·cus·es

1 : a crescent or crescent-shaped body
2 : a fibrous cartilage within a joint: a : either of two crescent-shaped lamellae of fibrocartilage that border and partly cover the articulating surfaces of the tibia and femur at the knee : semilunar cartilage: (1) : one mostly between the lateral condyles of the tibia and femur—called also external semilunar fibrocartilage, lateral meniscus, lateral semilunar cartilage (2) : one mostly between the medial condyles of the tibia and femur—called also internal semilunar fibrocartilage, medial meniscus, medial semilunar cartilage b : a thin oval ligament of the temporomandibular joint that is situated between the condyle of the mandible and the mandibular fossa and separates the joint into two cavities
3 : a concavo-convex lens
4 : the curved upper surface of a liquid column that is concave when the containing walls are wetted by the liquid and convex when not