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Definition of "cruciate" [cru•ci•ate]

  • Arranged in or forming a cross; cruciform. (adjective)
  • Overlapping or crossing, as the wings of some insects when at rest. (adjective)
  • Shaped like a cross: the cruciate ligaments of the knee. (adjective)

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.

Use "cruciate" in a sentence
  • "Carlisle, who admits he has been an "addict" of the show since childhood, had previously failed an audition during a long-term cruciate ligament injury lay-off from January 2001 to September 2002."
  • "Italian captain Parisse, currently sidelined with a long term cruciate knee ligament injury, is widely regarded as the best player in Italian rugby and has become an inspiration figure within Nick Mallett's national setup in recent times."
  • "They are called cruciate because they cross each other somewhat like the lines of the letter X; and have received the names anterior and posterior, from the position of their attachments to the tibia."
Words like "cruciate"
cruciate anastomosis
cruciate crural ligament
cruciate eminence
cruciate ligament