ossicle
a small bone.
Origin of ossicle
1Other words from ossicle
- os·sic·u·lar [o-sik-yuh-ler], /ɒˈsɪk yə lər/, os·sic·u·late [o-sik-yuh-lit], /ɒˈsɪk yə lɪt/, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use ossicle in a sentence
We may compare the similar thought that the ear ossicles are simply opercular bones reduced and turned to other uses.
Form and Function | E. S. (Edward Stuart) RussellThe middle segment becomes in mammals the incus (one of the ear-ossicles), and in birds the quadrate.
Form and Function | E. S. (Edward Stuart) RussellThe ossicles are of various sizes and shapes, and are one of the determining features in classification.
The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide | Augusta Foote ArnoldThe exoskeleton is composed of plates of carbonate of lime, called ossicles, which cover the surface of the body.
The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide | Augusta Foote ArnoldIn this family there are only two rows of tube-feet; the rays end in sharp points and have large ossicles on the margins.
The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide | Augusta Foote Arnold
British Dictionary definitions for ossicle
/ (ˈɒsɪkəl) /
a small bone, esp one of those in the middle ear
Origin of ossicle
1Derived forms of ossicle
- ossicular (ɒˈsɪkjʊlə), adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for ossicle
[ ŏs′ĭ-kəl ]
A small bone, especially one of the three located in the middle ear (the incus, malleus, and stapes) that transmit sound vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Browse