meniscus

noun

me·​nis·​cus mə-ˈni-skəs 

plural menisci mə-ˈni-ˌskī 

-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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

After missing her freshman season with a meniscus tear in her left knee, however, Comia felt some trepidation last year. —Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2023

Chicago Bulls guard will miss entire NBA season with knee injury Ball hasn't played since Jan. 14, 2022 after suffering a meniscus tear in his left knee in a 42-point loss to the Golden State Warriors. —Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2023

Johnson has been out since tearing his right meniscus Nov. 4 against Portland. —Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 6 Jan. 2023

Williams, a second-team All-Defense choice last season, tore the meniscus in his left knee in March and was sidelined for about a month after surgery before returning midway through the opening-round playoff series against the Nets. —Adam Himmelsbach, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Nov. 2022

Both players returned for the 2020-21 season, but Lewis’ campaign was cut short by tears in the meniscus and ACL in the right knee in January 2021. —Edward Lee, baltimoresun.com, 25 Feb. 2022

Cam Johnson is set to return for the Suns Thursday against Brooklyn after having not played since tearing his right meniscus on Nov. 4 against Portland. —Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 18 Jan. 2023

Suns: Devin Booker (left groin strain), OUT; Jae Crowder (not with team), OUT; Cameron Johnson (right meniscus tear), OUT. —Ashley Bastock, cleveland, 4 Jan. 2023

Williams tore the meniscus in his left knee last March, underwent surgery, and returned midway through Boston’s opening-round playoff sweep of the Nets. —Adam Himmelsbach, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Dec. 2022

See More

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

Kids Definition

meniscus

noun

me·​nis·​cus mə-ˈnis-kəs 

plural menisci -ˈnis-ˌ(k)ī 

-ˌkē

also meniscuses

: the curved upper surface of a liquid column

Medical Definition

meniscus

noun

me·​nis·​cus mə-ˈnis-kəs 

plural menisci -ˈnis-ˌ(k)ī, -ˌkē  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