metacarpal

American  

[met-uh-kahr-puhl] / ˌmɛt əˈkɑr pəl /

adjective

Anatomy.

1. of or relating to the metacarpus.

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noun

1. a metacarpal bone.

metacarpal British  

/ ˌmɛtəˈkɑːpəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the metacarpus

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noun

1. a metacarpal bone

metacarpal Scientific  

/ mĕt′ə-kär′pəl /

1. Any of the bones of the hands in humans or the forelimbs in animals that are located between the carpal bones and the phalanges.

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Other Word Forms

• intermetacarpal adjective

Etymology

Origin of metacarpal

First recorded in 1730–40; meta- + carpal

Example Sentences

The move comes 17 days after Machado sustained a fractured metacarpal in his left hand when he was hit by a pitch.

From Washington Times • Jun. 3, 2023

Lockett had the surgery to repair a spiral fracture to his first metacarpal, an injury suffered late in Thursday’s 21-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 20, 2022

Lockett suffered the break — which Carroll described as a spiral crack in his first metacarpal — on Seattle’s final offensive series of Thursday night’s 21-13 loss to the 49ers.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 16, 2022

However, the fourth and fifth metacarpal bones have limited anterior-posterior mobility, a motion that is greater for the fifth bone.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The metapodals and phalanges resemble very closely those of the fore limb, but the principal metatarsal is more laterally compressed at its upper end than is the corresponding metacarpal.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 6 "Home, Daniel" to "Hortensius, Quintus" by Various