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hamate

American  
[hey-meyt] / ˈheɪ meɪt /

adjective

Anatomy.
  1. hook-shaped.

  2. having a hooklike process.


hamate British  
/ ˈheɪmeɪt /

adjective

  1. rare hook-shaped

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of hamate

1735–45; < Latin hāmātus hooked, equivalent to hām ( us ) hook + -ātus -ate 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

By holding the bat this way, the full weight of the knob drives into the hamate with every swing, slowly destabilizing it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

Unlike Tommy John surgery, which usually sidelines pitchers for around 18 months, players who undergo hamate operations typically return to the field within eight weeks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

The one-time touted prospect suffered a broken hamate bone leading up to spring training last year and battled hamstring injuries with Triple-A Tacoma.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 17, 2024

Trout fractured his left hamate during the first game of a series with the Padres in San Diego on July 3.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 24, 2023

Spores of Bacidia umbrina to illustrate the several-celled, hyaline, hamate or spirally twisted type.

From Ohio Biological Survey, Bull. 10, Vol. 11, No. 6 The Ascomycetes of Ohio IV and V by Hilker, Leafy Jane Corrington