Definition of "cartilage" []

• A tough, elastic, fibrous connective tissue found in various parts of the body, such as the joints, outer ear, and larynx. A major constituent of the embryonic and young vertebrate skeleton, it is converted largely to bone with maturation. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "At the summit of the cricoid cartilage, on each side, is a small piece of triangular shape, called the _arytenoid cartilage_."
• "Reconstructing the airway (larynx and trachea) using a portion of cartilage from the rib, ear or larynx."
• "Reconstructive surgical procedure in which a flap of tissue or cartilage is attached to tissues in the back of the airway."