tendon

noun ten·don \ ˈten-dən \

|Updated on: 9 Aug 2018

Definition of tendon

: a tough cord or band of dense white fibrous connective tissue that unites a muscle with some other part (such as a bone) and transmits the force which the muscle exerts

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See tendon defined for kids

Recent Examples of tendon from the Web

The 27-year-old forward-center was a three-time All-Star with the Kings and was on his way to his fourth appearance before suffering a season-ending injury to his left Achilles' tendon in January.

— noel harris, sacbee, "'The 3rd Splash Brother': DeMarcus Cousins' deal with Warriors has NBA fans talking," 2 July 2018
Foster ruptured his Achilles tendon during the 2015 season, which led to the end of his tenure with the Texans and his eventual retirement one year later following a short stint with the Miami Dolphins.

— aaron wilson, Houston Chronicle, "Arian Foster weighs in on latest J.J. Watt comeback," 29 June 2018
Can Richard Sherman, coming off surgery on both Achilles’ tendons, handle the left corner job?

— andy benoit, SI.com, "NFC West Offseason Report Cards: Cardinals Blitzing, Rams Spend on Defense, Garoppolo Ready to Execute, Seahawks Rebuilding," 28 June 2018
After about three minutes of being peppered with questions about the viral tweet thread, Gresham was thrilled to finally get any question about football, even one about his ongoing recovery from a torn Achilles' tendon in 2017.

— katherine fitzgerald, azcentral, "Cardinals TE Jermaine Gresham humbled by response to viral deed as rehab continues," 5 June 2018
This includes a chicken-feet terrine ($12) and chilled beef tendon ($13) found on many Chinese menus.

— michael bauer, San Francisco Chronicle, "Mister Jiu’s fulfills its vision with 3½ stars," 11 Apr. 2018
As a result, James will become an unrestricted free agent at 9:01 p.m. PDT on Saturday, joining Paul George, Chris Paul and DeMarcus Cousins, who is recovering from a torn Achilles’ tendon, as the top free agents on the market this summer.

— tania ganguli, latimes.com, "LeBron James to become free agent after letting Cavaliers know he will not exercise option on contract," 30 June 2018
Theo also had reconstructive plastic surgery to repair his tendon.

— stephanie o'neill, Washington Post, "Father’s And Son’s Injuries Lead To The Mother Of All Therapy Bills," 29 June 2018
But as time marches on—our arteries hardening, tendons fraying, career options narrowing—the only certainties are getting older and slower and, eventually, dead.

— jacqueline detwiler, Popular Mechanics, "I Hacked My Body So You Don't Have To," 25 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tendon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of tendon

Medieval Latin tendon-, tendo, from Latin tendere to stretch — more at thin

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1541

in the meaning defined above

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Other Anatomy Terms

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TENDON Defined for English Language Learners

tendon

noun

Definition of tendon for English Language Learners

: a tough piece of tissue in your body that connects a muscle to a bone

TENDON Defined for Kids

tendon

noun ten·don \ ˈten-dən \

Definition of tendon for Students

: a band of tough white fiber connecting a muscle to another part (as a bone)

Word Root of tendon

The Latin word tendere, meaning to “stretch” or “to spread,” and its form tentus give us the roots tend, tent, and tens. Words from the Latin tendere have something to do with stretching or spreading. A tent is a temporary shelter made from stretched out fabric. To distend is to stretch outward and swell in all directions. To extend is to stretch out. A tendon is a cord that connects a muscle to another muscle or to a bone and that stretches allowing a joint to bend. Something tense is stretched tight.

Medical Dictionary

tendon

noun ten·don \ ˈten-dən \

medical Definition of tendon

: a tough cord or band of dense white fibrous connective tissue that unites a muscle with some other part, transmits the force which the muscle exerts, and is continuous with the connective-tissue epimysium and perimysium of the muscle and when inserted into a bone with the periosteum of the bone