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meniscuses

 [mi-nis-kuhs]   Origin

me·nis·cus

   [mi-nis-kuhs]
noun, plural -nis·ci  [-nis-ahy, -nis-kahy, -kee] , -nis·cus·es.
1.
a crescent or a crescent-shaped body.
2.
the convex or concave upper surface of a column of liquid, the curvature of which is caused by surface tension.
3.
Optics. a lens with a crescent-shaped section; a concavo-convex or convexo-concave lens.
4.
Anatomy. a disk of cartilage between the articulating ends of the bones in a joint.
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Origin:
1685–95; < Neo-Latin < Greek mēnískos crescent, diminutive of mḗnē moon

Related forms
me·nis·coid  [mi-nis-koid] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Meniscuses is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

meniscus
"crescent-shaped body," 1693 in ref. to lenses, c.1812 in ref. to liquid surfaces, Mod.L. meniscus, from Gk. meniskos "lunar crescent," dim. of mene "moon."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

meniscus me·nis·cus (mə-nĭs'kəs)
n. pl. me·nis·cus·es or me·nis·ci (-nĭs'ī, -kī, -kē)

  1. A crescent-shaped body.

  2. A concavo-convex lens.

  3. The curved upper surface of a nonturbulent liquid in a container that is concave if the liquid wets the walls and convex if it does not.

  4. A disk of cartilage that acts as a cushion between the ends of bones in a joint.

me·nis'cal (-kəl) or me·nis'cate' (-kāt') or me·nis'coid' (-koid') or men'is·coi'dal (měn'ĭs-koid'l) 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
meniscus   (mə-nĭs'kəs)  Pronunciation Key 


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Plural menisci (mə-nĭs'ī, -kī, -kē) or meniscuses

  1. A lens that is concave on one side and convex on the other.

  2. The curved upper surface of a column of liquid in a container. The surface is concave if the molecules of the liquid are attracted to the container walls and convex if they are not. See also surface tension.

  3. A piece of cartilage shaped like a crescent and located at the junction of two bones in a joint. The meniscus acts to absorb shock.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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