ligament
noun
lig·a·ment
| \ ˈli-gə-mənt
\
\
Definition of ligament
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
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Other Words from ligament
ligamentous
\ ˌli-gə-ˈmen-təs
\
adjective
\
adjective
Examples of ligament in a Sentence
He sprained ligaments in his knee.
Recent Examples on the Web
The eight-time All-Star selection will be the ostensible replacement for center DeMarcus Cousins, who recently tore a knee ligament after signing with the Lakers as a free agent last month. — Greg Beacham, The Denver Post, "Lakers plan to sign Dwight Howard, AP source says," 23 Aug. 2019 Lee, who led the team in receptions in 2017, tore several ligaments in his left knee when Atlanta cornerback Damontae Kazee delivered a helmet-first hit to his knee in a preseason game last August. — Mark Long, orlandosentinel.com, "Jaguars don’t expect Cam Robinson, Marqise Lee to play in season opener," 10 Aug. 2019 Edelman missed the entire 2017 season after tearing a knee ligament in the preseason. — Nate Davis, USA TODAY, "Patriots' Julian Edelman to fight NFL PED suspension on multiple levels, per report," 25 June 2018 Sale said several times that the injury has nothing to do with his ulnar collateral ligament. — Julian Mcwilliams, BostonGlobe.com, "Chris Sale optimistic he’ll be ready for 2020 season," 20 Aug. 2019 Nix hoped to contend for a rotation spot in spring training but was lost to a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament. — Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Minors: Jacob Nix rehabs with Storm; Patiño heads to Amarillo; Abrams’ first Fort Wayne hits," 8 Aug. 2019 High ankle sprains involve damage to a complex of ligaments located above the ankle joint known as the syndesmosis. — Eric Branch, SFChronicle.com, "Talking syndesmosis: Ankle surgeon discusses Nick Bosa’s injury," 9 Aug. 2019 Summers had been a university baseball player with major-league ambitions before the vehicle that struck him snapped all the ligaments and tendons in his neck, allowing one of his vertebra to pound the delicate nerve tissue it was meant to protect. — Cassandra Willyard, Scientific American, "How a Revolutionary Technique Got People with Spinal-Cord Injuries Back on Their Feet," 7 Aug. 2019 Manager Aaron Boone informed reporters that Hicks' elbow ligament was intact and would be shut down from any throwing activity for 10 days. — Khadrice Rollins, SI.com, "Keeping Track of All the Yankees' Injury Woes As Playoff Race Continues," 5 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ligament.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for ligament
ligament
noun
English Language Learners Definition of ligament
: a tough piece of tissue in your body that holds bones together or keeps an organ in place
See the full definition for ligament in the English Language Learners Dictionary
ligament
noun
lig·a·ment
| \ ˈli-gə-mənt
\
\
Kids Definition of ligament
: a tough band of tissue that holds bones together or keeps an organ in place in the body
ligament
noun
lig·a·ment
| \ ˈlig-ə-mənt
\
\
Medical Definition of ligament
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
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