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

Each of your knees has four ligaments running from your femur to your tibia and fibula: an MCL, an ACL, a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and a lateral collateral ligament (LCL). —Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2024

Rojas rushed out of the burning vehicle, fell off the overpass and broke his femur and pelvis. —Grace Hase, The Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2024

The shape, something like an elegantly twisted femur, debuted in sterling silver and terra-cotta two years later and then, in 1986, in magnolia wood. —Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 15 Aug. 2024

One of my open femur fractures was mid-thigh down to the knee and over the top of the knee. —Bethany Levrier, Peoplemag, 4 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin femor-, femur, from Latin, thigh

First Known Use

circa 1726, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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