ligament

noun

lig·a·ment | \ ˈli-gə-mənt

Definition of ligament

1 : a tough fibrous band of tissue connecting the articular extremities of bones or supporting an organ in place

2 : a connecting or unifying bond the law of nations, the great ligament of mankind— Edmund Burke

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Examples of ligament in a Sentence

He sprained ligaments in his knee.

Recent Examples on the Web

Where there was pitch, patrons in less sensible shoes wiped out in ways that made my ligaments wince. — Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, "Inside the Cultish Dreamworld of Augusta National," 14 June 2019 Even though feeling positive after some days of rest, further examinations have determined that all his ankle ligaments are torn and surgery is needed to prevent permanent damage to his ankle. — Kat Bein, Billboard, "Martin Garrix Cancels All Upcoming Shows," 5 June 2019 But there is plenty of interest in Syndergaard, who has been out since May 26 with a strained ligament in the index finger of his throwing hand, an injury that was not originally expected to sideline him this long. — James Wagner, New York Times, "Mets Lose Again as They Plod Toward the Trade Deadline," 4 July 2018 Shohei Ohtani's grade 2 tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow is unrelated a previous grade 1 tear, reports FRS Network's Jon Heyman. — Charlotte Carroll, SI.com, "Report: Shohei Ohtani's UCL Tear Isn't Related to Previous One," 14 June 2018 Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese two-way sensation whose brilliant performance as a pitcher and a hitter has captivated the baseball universe, has a grade 2 sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. — Jared Diamond, WSJ, "Angels’ Shohei Ohtani Has Elbow Injury That Might Require Tommy John Surgery," 8 June 2018 Tyler Johnson underwent left thumb surgery to repair an ulnar collateral ligament on April 30 and is expected to remain in a cast for a few more weeks. — Manny Navarro, miamiherald, "Heat's James Johnson reportedly had sports hernia surgery," 28 May 2018 Quinn suffered another last May, this time to the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. — Mike Sielski, Philly.com, "After hard year, Roman Quinn and Dylan Cozens now playing catch-up for Phillies | Mike Sielski," 25 Feb. 2018 Also, during pregnancy, your body releases the hormone relaxin to loosen up the ligaments in joints in your pelvis so the baby can eventually fit through the birth canal. — Korin Miller, SELF, "7 Ways to Make Sleep More Comfortable When You’re Pregnant," 31 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ligament.' 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

17 Jun 2019

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Time Traveler for ligament

The first known use of ligament was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for ligament

ligament

noun

English Language Learners Definition of ligament

: a tough piece of tissue in your body that holds bones together or keeps an organ in place

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

ligament

noun

lig·a·ment | \ ˈli-gə-mənt

Kids Definition of ligament

: a tough band of tissue that holds bones together or keeps an organ in place in the body

ligament

noun

lig·a·ment | \ ˈlig-ə-mənt

Medical Definition of ligament

1 : a tough band of tissue that serves to connect the articular extremities of bones or to support or retain an organ in place and is usually composed of coarse bundles of dense white fibrous tissue parallel or closely interlaced, pliant, and flexible, but not extensible

2 : any of various folds or bands of pleura, peritoneum, or mesentery connecting parts or organs