frenulum

noun

fren·​u·​lum ˈfren-yə-ləm How to pronounce frenulum (audio)
plural frenula ˈfren-yə-lə How to pronounce frenulum (audio)
1
: a connecting fold of membrane serving to support or restrain a part (such as the tongue)
2
: a bristle or group of bristles on the front edge of the posterior wings of some lepidoptera that unites the wings by interlocking with a catch on the posterior part of the forewings

Examples of frenulum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Nonetheless, Zaghi advocates for a surgery that cuts through the frenulum and sometimes into the muscle. Christina Szalinski, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2021 Cutting the frenulum could even make sleep worse, Baldassari says. Christina Szalinski, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2021 To correct the problem, doctors snip the frenulum underneath the tongue to release it. Christina Caron, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2020 The surgery can be necessary for infants when the lingual frenulum, the tissue that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth, is too tight, restricting the tongue's movement. Sonja Haller, USA TODAY, 15 July 2019 Honold had sustained extensive injuries—one of which Linda Walther, the nurse who examined her at the hospital, had never seen before: a torn labial frenulum, which connects the inside of the upper lip to the gums. Barbara Bradley Hagerty, The Atlantic, 15 July 2019 His frenulum — the ridge of tissue attaching the gums to the flesh of the lips and chin — was torn. Jane Wester, charlotteobserver, 22 Mar. 2018

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, diminutive of Latin frenum

First Known Use

circa 1706, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of frenulum was circa 1706

Dictionary Entries Near frenulum

Cite this Entry

“Frenulum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frenulum. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

frenulum

noun
fren·​u·​lum ˈfren-yə-ləm How to pronounce frenulum (audio)
plural frenula -lə How to pronounce frenulum (audio)
: a connecting fold of membrane serving to support or restrain a part (as the tongue)
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