malleus

noun, plural mal·le·i

[mal-ee-ahy] . Anatomy.

the outermost of a chain of three small bones in the middle ear of mammals. Also called hammer. Compare incus ( def 1 ), stapes.

Origin:
1660–70; < Latin: hammer

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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World English Dictionary

malleus (ˈmælɪəs)

—n , pl -lei
	incus See also stapes Nontechnical name: hammer the outermost and largest of the three small bones in the middle ear of mammals

[C17: from Latin: hammer]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Malleus is always a great word to know.

So is cervical vertebrae. Does it mean:

seven spinal bones of the neck

one member of the two lowest pairs of ribs, which are attached neither to the sternum nor to the cartilages of other ribs.

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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

malleus

1660s, from L. malleus "hammer" (see mallet).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

malleus mal·le·us (māl'ē-əs)
n. pl. mal·le·i (māl'ē-ī')
The hammer-shaped bone that is the outermost of the three auditory ossicles, articulating with the body of the incus. Also called hammer.

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

malleus

(māl'ē-əs) Pronunciation Key
Plural mallei (māl'ē-ī')
The hammer-shaped bone that is the largest and outermost of the three small bones (ossicles) in the middle ear.

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