meniscus

noun

me·​nis·​cus mə-ˈni-skəs How to pronounce meniscus (audio)
plural menisci mə-ˈni-ˌskī How to pronounce meniscus (audio)
-ˌskē,
-ˌsī
also meniscuses
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
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.
That was necessary after the junior hurt the meniscus in his right knee in a pickup game in May. Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 18 Oct. 2025 In 2016, he was forced to vacate the WWE World Heavyweight Championship after tearing his ACL, MCL, and medial meniscus, an injury that kept him out of action for seven months. Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025 When Brown went down with a season-ending meniscus injury in Week 1 of last season, Robinson — who signed a three-year, $22.5 million deal in 2024 — was the first one to step up behind-the-scenes and in the trenches. Mike Kaye october 7, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2025 Nabers also partially tore his lateral meniscus, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for meniscus

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek mēniskos, from diminutive of mēnē moon, crescent — more at moon

First Known Use

1685, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of meniscus was in 1685

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Meniscus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meniscus. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

meniscus

noun
me·​nis·​cus mə-ˈnis-kəs How to pronounce meniscus (audio)
plural menisci -ˈnis-ˌ(k)ī How to pronounce meniscus (audio)
-ˌkē
also meniscuses
: the curved upper surface of a liquid column

Medical Definition

meniscus

noun
me·​nis·​cus mə-ˈnis-kəs How to pronounce meniscus (audio)
plural menisci -ˈnis-ˌ(k)ī, -ˌkē How to pronounce meniscus (audio) also meniscuses
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

More from Merriam-Webster on meniscus

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!