acetabulum
[ as-i-tab-yuh-luh m ]
/ ˌæs ɪˈtæb yə ləm /
noun, plural ac·e·tab·u·la [as-i-tab-yuh-luh] /ˌæs ɪˈtæb yə lə/.
Anatomy.
the socket in the hipbone that receives the head of the thighbone.
Zoology.
any of the suction appendages of a leech, octopus, etc.
Origin of acetabulum
1660–70; < Latin: hip socket, cup-shaped part of a plant (Pliny), literally, small cup, orig. for vinegar, equivalent to
acēt(um) vinegar +
-ā- by analogy with verbal derivatives (cf.
vocable) +
-bulum suffix denoting instrument or vessel
OTHER WORDS FROM acetabulum
ac·e·tab·u·lar, adjective post·ac·e·tab·u·lar, adjective pre·ac·e·tab·u·lar, adjective sub·ac·e·tab·u·lar, adjectiveWords nearby acetabulum
acet-,
acetabular fossa,
acetabulectomy,
acetabuliform,
acetabuloplasty,
acetabulum,
acetal,
acetaldehyde,
acetaldol,
acetamide,
acetaminophen
Example sentences from the Web for acetabulum
British Dictionary definitions for acetabulum
acetabulum
/ (ˌæsɪˈtæbjʊləm) /
noun plural -la (-lə)
the deep cuplike cavity on the side of the hipbone that receives the head of the thighbone
a round muscular sucker in flatworms, leeches, and cephalopod molluscs
the aperture in the thorax of an insect that holds the leg
Word Origin for acetabulum
Latin: vinegar cup, hence a cuplike cavity, from
acētum vinegar +
-abulum, suffix denoting a container
Medical definitions for acetabulum
acetabulum
[ ăs′ĭ-tăb′yə-ləm ]
n. pl. ac•e•tab•u•la (-lə)
The cup-shaped cavity at the base of the hipbone into which the ball-shaped head of the femur fits.
cotyloid cavity