femur

noun

fe·​mur ˈfē-mər 

plural femurs or femora ˈfe-mə-rə 

ˈfem-rə

1

: the proximal bone of the hind or lower limb that extends from the hip to the knee

called also thigh bone

2

: the segment of an insect's leg that is third from the body

Examples of femur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Paleontologists discovered most of the pelvis, vertebrae from the trunk and tail, some ribs, neck fragments, and parts of the femur and fibula. —Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 30 Sep. 2024

These are located on the inside of your thigh, spanning from your femur (or thigh bone) up to your pelvis. —Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024

Another possible flute from Slovenia, made from a cave bear femur, was dated to over 50,000 years ago and is suggested to have been made by Neanderthals. —Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024

Within what felt like a heartbeat, my father collapsed and broke his femur, as a result of a heart that didn’t beat often enough. —Peter Ubel, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin femor-, femur, from Latin, thigh

First Known Use

1666, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

femur

noun

fe·​mur ˈfē-mər 

plural femurs or femora ˈfem-(ə-)rə 

1

: the long bone of the hind or lower limb extending from the hip to the knee

called also thighbone

2

: the segment of an insect's leg that is third from the body

femoral

ˈfem-(ə-)rəl

adjective

Medical Definition

femur

noun

fe·​mur ˈfē-mər 

plural femurs or femora ˈfem-(ə-)rə 

1

: the proximal bone of the hind or lower limb that is the longest and largest bone in the human body, extends from the hip to the knee, articulates above with the acetabulum by a rounded head connected with the shaft of the bone by an oblique neck bearing a pair of trochanters for the attachment of muscles, and articulates with the tibia below by a pair of condyles

called also thigh bone

2

: the segment of an insect's leg that is third from the body