Dictionary

ligament en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈlɪɡəmənt/

Etymology

From Middle English ligament, from Latin ligāmentum, from ligō (“tie, bind”).

Meanings

1. A band of strong tissue that connects bones to other bones.
   • Her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) are torn and Vonn has a lateral fracture of the tibial plateau, the upper end of the tibia or shin bone. 2013 February 6, Jen Christiensen, “Vonn’s injury ‘career-delayer,’ not ‘career ender’”, in CNN:
   • It so chanced that at this juncture the decayed ligaments of the skeleton gave way, and the dry bones fell together in a heap, thus causing the dusty wreath of cypress to drop upon the table. 1846, Nathaniel Hawthorne, “The Christmas Banquet”, in Mosses from an Old Manse:
2. (figuratively) That which binds or acts as a ligament.
   • 1845, Daniel Webster, oration on Justice Joseph Story Justice is the ligament which holds civilized beings and civilized nations together.
   • It remains to mention one consideration which naturally occurred in the reflections upon the expediency of assuming the State Debts. This is its tendency to strengthen our infant Government by increasing the number of ligaments between the Government and the interests of Individuals. 1795 July 14, Alexander Hamilton, “The Defence of the Funding System”, in Harold C. Syrett, editor, The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, volume 19, New York: Columbia University Press, published 1973, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 40:

Forms

Deriveds

lienophrenic ligament · suspensory ligament · ovarian ligament · multiligament · medial collateral ligament · capsular ligament · broad ligament · round ligament · patellar ligament · inguinal ligament · ligamentary · oblique ligament · Poupart's ligament · ligamentous · ligamentotaxis · ligamentomuscular · cruciate ligament · ligamental · anterolateral ligament · acrocoracohumeral ligament · phrenicolienal ligament · stylohyoid ligament · Lisfranc ligament · falciform ligament · phrenicosplenic ligament · Cooper's ligament · cruciform ligament · periodontal ligament · ligamentoplasty · uterosacral ligament · Hensing's ligament · spring ligament

Relateds

sinew · tendon

Translations (84)

ko 인대 (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · lo ເອັນ (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · es ligamento (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · sk väz (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · be звя́зка (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · ug سىڭىر (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · nb leddbånd (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · tt бәйләм (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · gu અસ્થિબંધન (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · sv ledband (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · sh ligàment (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · ja 靱帯 (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · arz رباط (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · tl gatil (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · ky байламта (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · ca lligament (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · km វាវ (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · enm ligament (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · ru лигаме́нт (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · bn লিগামেন্ট (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · got 𐌲𐌰𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍃 (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · tr bağ (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · kk байлам (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · ru свя́зка (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · az bağ (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · pl wiązadło (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · mk лигаме́нт (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · uk зв'я́зка (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · hi लिगामेन्ट (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · hu ínszalag (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · hi पट्ठा (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · da ledbånd (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · pl więzadło (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · ar رِبَاط (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · ur رباط (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · lo ສະໜາຍຸ (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · sh лига̀мент (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · lv saite (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · mi nape (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · ms ligamen (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · bg лигаме́нт (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · tg пай (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · my အရွတ် (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · vi dây chằng (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · mn шөрмөс (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · sl vez (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · de Ligament (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · tr ligaman (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · is liðband (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · nl ligament (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · cmn 韌帶 /韧带 (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · fa لیگامان (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · uz boylam (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · he רְצוּעָה (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · cy gewyn (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · bg сухожи́лие (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · ka კავშირი (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · ga ballnasc (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · it legamento (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · ht ligaman (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · hi स्नायु (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · tr ligament (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · th เอ็น (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · mn шандас (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · fa رباط (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · kmr bester (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · ja 靭帯 (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · ro ligament (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · is band (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · it benderella (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · sv ligament (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · et side (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · lt raištis (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · fr ligament (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · hu szalag (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · ka მყესი (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · sq ligament (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · cs vaz (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · pt ligamento (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · fi nivelside (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · de Band (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · tr bağdoku (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · sa स्नायु (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position) · el σύνδεσμος (band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position)