meniscus

noun

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me·nis·cus | \ mə-ˈni-skəs

plural menisci\ mə-ˈni-ˌskī

, -ˌskē , -ˌsī \ also meniscuses

Definition of meniscus

1 : a crescent or crescent-shaped body

2 : a concavo-convex lens

3 : the curved upper surface of a column of liquid

4 : a fibrous cartilage within a joint especially of the knee

Examples of meniscus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Running back Kerryon Johnson, out since Week 7 with torn meniscus in his right knee, returned against the Broncos but managed just 42 yards rushing on 10 carries. — Michael Kelly, The Denver Post, "After loss to Broncos, Lions closing out another disappointing season," 22 Dec. 2019 Magic Forward Al-Farouq Aminu (torn right meniscus) is out. — Jonathan Feigen, Houston Chronicle, "Scouting report: Rockets at Magic," 12 Dec. 2019 Clifford said injured forward Al-Farouq Aminu will not have surgery on his right knee (torn meniscus) and instead will be treated with a non-operative procedure. — Roy Parry, orlandosentinel.com, "Magic center Nikola Vucevic will sit tonight against Lakers but appears close to returning," 11 Dec. 2019 But Williamson had foiled their plans by tearing his meniscus, so the brothers had to find other ways to entertain themselves. — Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, "The Safdie Brothers’ Full-Immersion Filmmaking," 9 Dec. 2019 Starting safety Malik Hooker hasn’t played since tearing the meniscus in his knee against Atlanta and a concussion kept Clayton Geathers, the Colts’ other starting safety, also out at Kansas City. — Michael Marot, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Leonard returns to Colts’ practice following bye week," 14 Oct. 2019 The Colts’ defense is without linebacker Darius Leonard (concussion) and safety Malik Hooker (torn meniscus). — Matt Kawahara, SFChronicle.com, "Raiders to face three Colts tight ends who hurt them last season," 28 Sep. 2019 The swimmer with hunky good looks and a laid-back surfer vibe once tore a meniscus tendon while breakdancing in his apartment. — Elliott Almond, The Mercury News, "What would Olympian Ryan Lochte do? Try to start over again," 1 Aug. 2019 For the Magic, former Blazer Al-Farouq Aminu (right knee; meniscus tear) is out. — Jamie Goldberg, oregonlive, "Portland Trail Blazers vs. Orlando Magic: Game preview, TV channel, how to watch live stream online," 20 Dec. 2019

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

11 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Meniscus.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meniscus. Accessed 23 January 2020.

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More Definitions for meniscus

meniscus

noun

me·nis·cus | \ mə-ˈnis-kəs

plural menisci\ -ˈnis-ˌ(k)ī, -ˌkē

\ also meniscuses

Medical Definition of meniscus

1 : a crescent or crescent-shaped body

2 : a fibrous cartilage within a joint:

a : either of two crescent-shaped lamellae of fibrocartilage that border and partly cover the articulating surfaces of the tibia and femur at the knee : semilunar cartilage:

(1) : one mostly between the lateral condyles of the tibia and femur

— called also external semilunar fibrocartilage, lateral meniscus, lateral semilunar cartilage

(2) : one mostly between the medial condyles of the tibia and femur

— called also internal semilunar fibrocartilage, medial meniscus, medial semilunar cartilage

b : a thin oval ligament of the temporomandibular joint that is situated between the condyle of the mandible and the mandibular fossa and separates the joint into two cavities

3 : a concavo-convex lens

4 : the curved upper surface of a liquid column that is concave when the containing walls are wetted by the liquid and convex when not