tendon

[ ten-duhn ]

noun

1. Anatomy. a cord or band of dense, tough, inelastic, white, fibrous tissue, serving to connect a muscle with a bone or part; sinew.
2. a reinforcing strand in prestressed concrete.

tendon

/ ˈtɛndən /

noun

1. a cord or band of white inelastic collagenous tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone or some other part; sinew

tendon

/ tĕn′dən /

1. A band of tough, fibrous, inelastic tissue that connects a muscle to a bone. Tendons are made chiefly of collagen.

tendon

1. A tough band of fibrous connective tissue that connects muscles to bones.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tendon¹

1535–45; < Medieval Latin tendōn- (stem of tendō ) < Greek ténōn sinew (spelling with -d- by association with Latin tendere to stretch)

Word History and Origins

Origin of tendon¹

C16: from Medieval Latin tendō, from Latin tendere to stretch; related to Greek tenōn sinew

Example Sentences

There was nothing unusual in their collision, but a coincidence of torsion and tension ruptured Roigard’s patella tendon.

From BBC

During filming, a piece of glass sliced a tendon in Garr’s foot; later, she would wonder if the accident had triggered her multiple sclerosis.

From Los Angeles Times

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson's season could well be over after he was carted off with an Achilles tendon injury during their defeat by Ohio rivals Cincinnati.

From BBC

He suffered an apparent season-ending injury to his Achilles tendon and was booed by some in the hometown crowd as he was taken off the field on a cart.

From Los Angeles Times

Our tendons become drier, thinner and less elastic; muscles, in general, become smaller.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• hamstring
• ligament
• sinew
• tissue