plural patellae
pə-ˈte-(ˌ)lē 
-ˌlī
or patellas
-ˌlī
or patellas
: a thick flat triangular movable bone that forms the anterior point of the knee and protects the front of the joint : kneecap
… the quadriceps are attached at the anterior and anterior lateral aspect of the patella and are extensors of the knee joint.—
John B. Rizzotto
John B. Rizzotto… a few horses suffer from a slipping of the patella—the little bone on the front of the stifle that is similar to the human kneecap—locking the joint so that it cannot flex properly.—Heather Smith Thomas
Heather Smith ThomasThe human knee is specialized for walking upright too: to compensate for the thighbone's being at an angle, there's a lump, or groove, at the end of the femur that prevents the patella from sliding off the joint.—Michael D. Lemonick and Andrea Dorfman
Michael D. Lemonick and Andrea DorfmanExamples of patella in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The procedure was on his bipartite patella, or a two-part kneecap that didn’t fuse together at birth.
—Joe Reedy, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2024
Specifically, your growing child might encounter a condition called bipartite patella.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 30 July 2024
The German goalkeeper suffered a ruptured patella tendon during Sunday’s La Liga victory against Villarreal and is expected to be out for several months.
—Manuel Veth, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
Three months before that World Cup, one the U.S. exited in the round of 16 for the first time, Swanson tore the patella tendon in her left knee.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2024
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Joe Reedy, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2024
Specifically, your growing child might encounter a condition called bipartite patella.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 30 July 2024
The German goalkeeper suffered a ruptured patella tendon during Sunday’s La Liga victory against Villarreal and is expected to be out for several months.
—Manuel Veth, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
Three months before that World Cup, one the U.S. exited in the round of 16 for the first time, Swanson tore the patella tendon in her left knee.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for patella
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Dictionary Entries Near patella
Cite this Entry
“Patella.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patella. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
patella
noun
pa·tel·la
pə-ˈtel-ə
plural patellae
-ˈtel-(ˌ)ē
-ˌī
or patellas
-ˌī
or patellas
: a thick flat triangular movable bone that forms the anterior point of the knee, protects the front of the joint, increases the leverage of the quadriceps, and is usually regarded as a sesamoid bone since it is developed in the tendon of the quadriceps and in structure is similar to other sesamoid bones
called also kneecap, kneepan
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