femur

noun

fe·​mur ˈfē-mər How to pronounce femur (audio)
plural femurs or femora ˈfe-mə-rə How to pronounce femur (audio)
ˈfem-rə
1
: the proximal bone of the hind or lower limb that extends from the hip to the knee

called also thigh bone

2
: the segment of an insect's leg that is third from the body

Examples of femur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Additionally, the femur structure of the man was in line with someone who spent a lot of time riding horses, according to Euronews. Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 20 Sep. 2024 The labrum cushions the hip and acts like a seal to hold the ball at the top of the femur (thigh bone) within the hip socket. Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 8 Aug. 2024 The point at which the femur (leg bone) and patella (kneebone) connect is cushioned with articular cartilage.2 This helps the knee and leg move smoothly together and protects your knees from injury. ​wendy Wisner, Parents, 30 July 2024 To find out whether amputations following tibia wounds are as effective at stopping infections as those following femur wounds, Frank’s team amputated the ants’ legs. Byhumberto Basilio, science.org, 2 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for femur 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'femur.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin femor-, femur, from Latin, thigh

First Known Use

1666, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of femur was in 1666

Dictionary Entries Near femur

Cite this Entry

“Femur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/femur. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

femur

noun
fe·​mur ˈfē-mər How to pronounce femur (audio)
plural femurs or femora ˈfem-(ə-)rə How to pronounce femur (audio)
1
: the long bone of the hind or lower limb extending from the hip to the knee

called also thighbone

2
: the segment of an insect's leg that is third from the body
femoral
ˈfem-(ə-)rəl
adjective

Medical Definition

femur

noun
fe·​mur ˈfē-mər How to pronounce femur (audio)
plural femurs or femora ˈfem-(ə-)rə How to pronounce femur (audio)
1
: the proximal bone of the hind or lower limb that is the longest and largest bone in the human body, extends from the hip to the knee, articulates above with the acetabulum by a rounded head connected with the shaft of the bone by an oblique neck bearing a pair of trochanters for the attachment of muscles, and articulates with the tibia below by a pair of condyles

called also thigh bone

2
: the segment of an insect's leg that is third from the body

More from Merriam-Webster on femur

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