femur

noun

fe·​mur ˈfē-mər 

plural femurs or femora ˈfe-mə-rə 

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

Isaac broke his femur in his right leg and both ankles in the fall, while his brother, Andrew, fractured his jaw and broke his nose, per KOCO 5 News. — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026

McDaniel broke his femur, the body’s strongest bone, in four places near his hip and suffered several bruises. — Sara Smart, CNN Money, 13 July 2026

The Outlaws dealt with injuries to three of their top riders, including 2024 World Champion and league rookie of the year Cassio Dias, who suffered a broken femur just months into his title defense. — Latif Love july 9, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2026

According to Betty Alvarez, Nina’s mother, the teen athlete suffered a severe brain injury and multiple fractures to her pelvis, hips and both femurs. — Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin femor-, femur, from Latin, thigh

First Known Use

1666, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for femur

• beamer
• creamer
• dreamer
• lemur
• reamer
• schemer
• steamer
• streamer
• redeemer

Kids Definition

femur

noun

fe·​mur ˈfē-mər 

plural femurs or femora ˈfem-(ə-)rə 

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 

plural femurs or femora ˈfem-(ə-)rə 

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