Dictionary

ossicle en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈɒsɪkəl/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Late 16th century, from Latin ossiculum (“little bone, ossicle”) from os (“bone”).

Meanings

1. A small bone (or bony structure), especially one of the three of the middle ear.
   • The incus is one of the three auditory ossicles.
2. Bone-like joint or plate. ▸ One of numerous small calcareous structures forming the skeleton of certain echinoderms, as the starfishes.
   • The skeleton of echinoderms is made of ossicles, linked to each other via muscles and connective tissue.
3. Bone-like joint or plate. ▸ One of the hard articuli or joints of the stem or branches of a crinoid or encrinite.
4. Bone-like joint or plate. ▸ One of the several small hard chitinous parts or processes of the gastric skeleton of crustaceans, as in the stomach of a lobster or crawfish.

Forms

Deriveds

sphenoturbinal ossicle · intercalcar ossicles · marginal ossicles · cardiac ossicle · Weberian ossicles · carpal ossicle · ossiculotomy · tarsal ossicle · episternal ossicles · epactal ossicles · vertebral ossicle · wormian ossicles · ossiculate · Kerckring's ossicle · ossicle of Bertin · ambulacral ossicle · Andernach's ossicles · ossiculectomy · ossiculoplasty · Riolan's ossicles · ossicular

Hypernyms

os · bone

Synonyms

auditory bone · ossicule · ossiculum · otic bone · ossicular chain · bonelet · auditory ossicle

Translations (25)

wa oxhlet (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · hu hallócsont (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · cs kůstka (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · pl kostka (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · it ossicino (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · cy asgyrnyn (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · es huesecillo (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · de Gehörknöchelchen (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · pl kosteczka (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · pt ossículo (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · nl beentje (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · kmr hestîkê bihîstinê (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · cy esgyrnyn (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · br askornig (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · pl płytka (wapienna) (bone-like plate) · zza binagos (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · bg костица (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · fr osselet (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · ca ossicle (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · fi kuuloluu (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · cs sluchová kůstka (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · af gehoorbeentjie (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · uk кі́сточка (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · pt ossinho (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle) · nl gehoorbeentje (small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle)