: a small bone or bony structure (such as the malleus, incus, or stapes)
Examples of ossicle in a Sentence
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Without ossicles, ancient mammals might have been merely dinner for larger predators—or died off from starvation—rather than becoming our distant ancestors.
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Jim Daley, Scientific American, 5 Dec. 2019
Once your eardrum starts vibrating, the ossicles in your middle ear start vibrating, too.
—Amber Brenza, SELF, 4 Feb. 2018
The auditory ossicles of the middle ear – the malleus, incus and stapes – are the tiniest bones in the human body.
—Emily Matchar, Smithsonian, 18 Dec. 2017
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Jim Daley, Scientific American, 5 Dec. 2019
Once your eardrum starts vibrating, the ossicles in your middle ear start vibrating, too.
—Amber Brenza, SELF, 4 Feb. 2018
The auditory ossicles of the middle ear – the malleus, incus and stapes – are the tiniest bones in the human body.
—Emily Matchar, Smithsonian, 18 Dec. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Ossicle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ossicle. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ossicle
noun
os·si·cle
ˈäs-i-kəl 
: a small bone or bony structure (as one of the three small bones of the middle ear)
Etymology
Latin, literally, "small bone"
Medical Definition
ossicle
noun
os·si·cle
ˈäs-i-kəl
: a small bone or bony structure
especially
: any of three small bones of the middle ear including the malleus, incus, and stapes
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