labrum

noun

la·​brum ˈlā-brəm 

1

: an upper or anterior mouthpart of an arthropod consisting of a single median piece in front of or above the mandibles

2

: a ring of fibrous cartilage forming the margin of the shallow cavity of the upper part of the scapula by which the humerus articulates with the shoulder girdle

Examples of labrum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ohtani is coming off of surgery to repair a labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder while still working his way back to the mound from a second major elbow surgery. —Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025

Zambrano, who has dealt with hip, hernia and labrum issues, made 24 of his 26 starts for the Redbirds at left tackle before suffering a season-ending injury two games into the 2024 season. —Manny Navarro, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025

First a hamstring problem and then a labrum injury in December that ended his season. —Luca Evans, The Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2025

Also back for Metea Valley is senior pitcher Anthony Tardif, who earned All-DuPage Valley Conference honors as a sophomore but missed last season with a torn labrum. —Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin, lip, edge — more at lip

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for labrum

• candelabrum

Kids Definition

labrum

noun

la·​brum ˈlā-brəm 

: the upper mouthpart of an arthropod in front of or above the mandibles

Medical Definition

labrum

noun

la·​brum ˈlā-brəm 

plural labra -brə 

1

: an upper or anterior mouthpart of an arthropod consisting of a single median piece in front of or above the mandibles

2

: a fibrous ring of cartilage attached to the rim of a joint: as

a

: glenoid labrum

b

: acetabular labrum