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Definition of "patella" [pa•tel•la]

  • A flat triangular bone located at the front of the knee joint. Also called kneecap. (noun)
  • A dish-shaped anatomical formation. (noun)
  • A pan or dish in ancient Rome. (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.

Use "patella" in a sentence
  • "Luxation of the patella is a condition wherein the articular portions of the femur and patella assume abnormal relations whether such displacement of the patella be momentary and capable of spontaneous reduction, or fixed and requiring corrective manipulation."
  • "Temporary luxation of the patella is a common affection of the horse and fixed luxation of this bone also occurs."
  • "The patella is a great defence to the front of the knee-joint, and distributes upon a large and tolerably even surface, during kneeling, the pressure which would otherwise fall upon the prominent ridges of the condyles; it also affords leverage to the Quadriceps femoris."
Words like "patella"