stapes

[ stey-peez ]

noun

, Anatomy.

, plural sta·pes, sta·pe·des [st, uh, -, pee, -deez].

1. the innermost, stirrup-shaped bone of a chain of three small bones in the middle ear of humans and other mammals, involved in the conduction of sound vibrations to the inner ear.

stapes

/ ˈsteɪpiːz; stæˈpiːdɪəl /

noun

1. the stirrup-shaped bone that is the innermost of three small bones in the middle ear of mammals Nontechnical namestirrup bone Compare incus malleus

stapes

/ stā′pēz /

, Plural stapes stā′pĭ-dēz′

1. The roughly stirrup-shaped bone that is the innermost of the three small bones (ossicles) of the middle ear.

Derived Forms

• stapedial, adjective

Other Words From

• sta·pe·di·al [st, uh, -, pee, -dee-, uh, l], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of stapes¹

First recorded in 1660–70; from New Latin stapēs, Medieval Latin: “stirrup,” perhaps etymologizing alteration of Italian staffa “stirrup” (from Germanic ) by association with Latin stāre “to stand,” and pēs, stem ped- “foot”; foot

Word History and Origins

Origin of stapes¹

C17: via New Latin from Medieval Latin, perhaps a variant of staffa, stapeda stirrup, influenced in form by Latin stāre to stand + pēs a foot

Example Sentences

Medicals historians have speculated that otosclerosis—a condition in which a tiny ear bone called the stapes fuses with other parts of the ear—might have been responsible for Beethoven’s hearing loss.

From Scientific American

That's because otosclerosis is a disease that affects the bone that surrounds the stapes.

From BBC

These bones shifted slightly internally to form a middle ear together with a bone called the stapes, which was present in mammalian ancestors.

From Nature

Police say on March 17 the 36-year-old Alexander threw a mug at his mother in the family home, opening a wound that required three stapes to close.

From Seattle Times

Earliest known mammalian stapes from an early cretaceous eutriconodontan mammal and implications for evolution of mammalian middle ear.

From Nature