femur

noun

Save Word

fe·mur | \ ˈfē-mər

plural femurs or femora\ ˈfe-mə-rə

, ˈfem-rə \

Definition of femur

1 : the proximal bone of the hind or lower limb that extends from the hip to the knee

— called also thighbone

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 The victim suffered a fractured right femur and multiple head lacerations, police said. — City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Police seek tips on hit-and-run driver who injured woman in Mission Valley," 16 Apr. 2021 Brooke Shields is on the mend after breaking her femur in an accident back in late January. — Sarah Jacoby, SELF, "Brooke Shields Shares Recovery Photos After Her ‘Excruciating’ Gym Accident," 31 Mar. 2021 The pair crashed down a full flight of stairs, and her baby broke her femur. — NBC News, "Mika's top-7 tips for college women preparing to enter the workforce," 25 Mar. 2021 The one-time Calvin Klein jeans model, who broke her femur in February, opened up about her struggle to walk again in a People interview published Wednesday. — Jenna Ryu, USA TODAY, "Brooke Shields says she's 'a fighter' as she learns to walk again after broken femur," 24 Mar. 2021 By the time it was diagnosed, Jackson’s cancer was in his hip bone, femur, the capsule around his hip joint and in his gluteus and quadricep muscles. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Surgeon walks 26.2 miles in his cancer patient’s shoes," 17 Mar. 2021 Shields gave no indication what caused the injury to her femur, or thigh bone, the largest bone in the human body. — Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, "Brooke Shields broke her femur, shares recovery video learning to walk again: 'Beginning to mend'," 22 Feb. 2021 Erbe underwent surgery for a broken femur and fractured vertebrae and is expected to recover, the group said. — Nora Mishanec, San Francisco Chronicle, "Berkeley bicycle activist struck by car hours after meeting on traffic safety, group says," 18 Mar. 2021 The small fragment of a dog's femur was found in Alaska and belonged to a canine that roamed the region about 10,150 years ago, said a study by the University at Buffalo. — Peter Sblendorio, Star Tribune, "10,000-year-old dog bone answers questions of arrival to Americas," 4 Mar. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'femur.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

1 May 2021

Cite this Entry

“Femur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/femur. Accessed 8 May. 2021.

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More Definitions for femur

femur

noun

English Language Learners Definition of femur

medical : the long bone in the upper part of the leg

See the full definition for femur in the English Language Learners Dictionary

femur

noun

fe·mur | \ ˈfē-mər

plural femurs or femora\ ˈfe-mə-rə \

Kids Definition of femur

: the long leg bone that extends from the hip to the knee

femur

noun

fe·mur | \ ˈfē-mər

plural femurs or femora\ ˈfem-(ə-)rə

Medical Definition of femur

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

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