ligament

noun

lig·​a·​ment ˈli-gə-mənt 

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

ligamentous

ˌli-gə-ˈmen-təs 

adjective

Examples of ligament in a Sentence

He sprained ligaments in his knee.

Recent Examples on the Web

Coleman missed most of his first season in Fort Worth after tearing ligaments in his left wrist, which required surgery, and battled through knee and ankle issues for most of last season. 100. —Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2024

Midfielder Fede Redondo will also miss the game Saturday and is expected to be out for eight weeks after suffering an injury to his left lateral collateral ligament, the team announced. —Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024

Center fielder Aaron Judge missed time during spring training with an abdominal injury as the Yankees understand that his right big toe will require constant maintenance after tearing a ligament in it last June against the Dodgers. —Wayne G. McDonnell, Jr., Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

The gynecologic organs, the bladder and the rectum are all held in place by a group of muscles and ligaments known as the pelvic floor, Dmochowski explained. —Linda Carroll, NBC News, 9 Mar. 2024

Slumping and hunching creates undue strain and tension on muscles, joints, discs, and ligaments, which can lead to next-day achiness, interfering with sleep quality. —Hilary Tetenbaum, Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024

The best postpartum belly wraps provide 360-degree support to help the abdominal wall recover, stabilize your core, back, and ligaments, and assist with correct posture, which is a big bonus when breastfeeding or bottle feeding a baby. —Maya Polton, Parents, 14 Mar. 2024

Felix, who is on loan from Atletico Madrid, suffered a sprain of a ligament in his right ankle at the end of January and wasn't expected to be back so soon. —Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024

The condition, in which a blood vessel expands or bulges and can eventually rupture, is fairly novel within the game, where tendons, ligaments and soft tissue are usually of more concern. —Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 29 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin & Latin; Medieval Latin ligamentum, from Latin, band, tie, from ligare

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ligament

• anterior cruciate ligament
• cruciate ligament
• medial collateral ligament
• posterior cruciate ligament
• suspensory ligament
• ulnar collateral ligament
• ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction

Kids Definition

ligament

noun

lig·​a·​ment ˈlig-ə-mənt 

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

Etymology

Middle English ligament "connecting tissue, ligament," derived from Latin ligamentum "band, something used for tying," from ligare "to bind, tie" — related to ally

Medical Definition

ligament

noun

lig·​a·​ment ˈlig-ə-mənt 

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