ossicle
noun/ˈɒsɪkəl/
Etymology Late 16th century, from Latin ossiculum (“little bone, ossicle”) from os (“bone”).
1
Anatomy, Medicine, Sciences A small bone (or bony structure), especially one of the three of the middle ear.
- The incus is one of the three auditory ossicles.
› Bone-like joint or plate.
2
Biology, Natural sciences, Zoology One of numerous small calcareous structures forming the skeleton of certain echinoderms, as the starfishes.
- The skeleton of echinoderms is made of ossicles, linked to each other via muscles and connective tissue.
- Derived terms
- ambulacral ossicle, Andernach's ossicles, cardiac ossicle, carpal ossicle, epactal ossicles, episternal ossicles, intercalcar ossicles, Kerckring's ossicle, marginal ossicles, ossicle of Bertin, ossicular, ossiculate, ossiculectomy, ossiculoplasty, ossiculotomy, Riolan's ossicles, sphenoturbinal ossicle, tarsal ossicle, vertebral ossicle, Weberian ossicles, wormian ossicles