lig·a·ment

[lig-uh-muhnt]
noun
1.
Anatomy, Zoology. a band of tissue, usually white and fibrous, serving to connect bones, hold organs in place, etc.
2.
a tie or bond: The desire for personal freedom is a ligament uniting all peoples.
Origin:
1375–1425; late Middle English < Medieval Latin ligāmentum, Latin: bandage, equivalent to ligā(re) to tie + -mentum -ment

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World English Dictionary
ligament (ˈlɪɡəmənt) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  anatomy any one of the bands or sheets of tough fibrous connective tissue that restrict movement in joints, connect various bones or cartilages, support muscles, etc
2.  any physical or abstract connection or bond
 
[C14: from Medieval Latin ligāmentum, from Latin (in the sense: bandage), from ligāre to bind]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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00:10
Ligament is always a great word to know.
So is external auditory canal. Does it mean:
narrow, tubelike passage through which sound enters the ear; ear canal
either one of the seventh pair of cranial nerves composed of motor fibers that control muscles of the face except those used in chewing
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

ligament
c.1400, from L. ligamentum "band, tie, ligature," from ligare "to bind, tie," from PIE *leig- "to bind" (cf. Alb. lith "I bind," M.L.G. lik "band," M.H.G. geleich "joint, limb").
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

ligament lig·a·ment (lĭg'ə-mənt)
n.

  1. A band or sheet of tough fibrous tissue connecting two or more bones, cartilages, or other structures, or serving as support for fasciae or muscles.

  2. A fold of peritoneum supporting any of the abdominal viscera.

  3. The cordlike remains of a fetal vessel or other structure that has lost its original lumen.

lig'a·men'tal (-měn'tl) or lig'a·men'ta·ry (-měn'tə-rē, -měn'trē) or lig'a·men'tous adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
ligament   (lĭg'ə-mənt)  Pronunciation Key 
A sheet or band of tough fibrous tissue that connects two bones or holds an organ of the body in place.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

ligament definition


A kind of fibrous connective tissue that binds bones or cartilage together.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
In carpal tunnel release, the surgeon will cut through this ligament to make more space for the nerve and tendons.
At the lateral extremity of the condyle is a small tubercle for the attachment of the temporomandibular ligament.
The tear may be complete, the ligament may be separated from the bone, or the ligament may pull off a bone fragment.
After an injury, swelling of the joint may mean you have a broken bone or a tear in the muscle tendon or ligament.
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