meniscus
2 synonyms for meniscus, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — Either of the two crescent-shaped pads of cartilage in the knee that sit between the thigh bone and shin bone and cushion the joint.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
knee cartilage
semilunar cartilage
How to use meniscus
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
torn meniscus
medial meniscus
meniscus repair
read the meniscus
Technical in all its senses, though the knee meaning is common in everyday sports talk.
Etymology
From Greek mēniskos 'crescent', a diminutive of mēnē 'moon'.
Full origin of meniscus →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a meniscus tear and torn cartilage?
They usually describe the same injury. The meniscus is a specific piece of knee cartilage, so 'torn cartilage in the knee' almost always means a meniscus tear.
What is the plural of meniscus?
Both menisci, pronounced muh-NIS-eye or muh-NIS-kee, and meniscuses are accepted. Medical writing prefers menisci.
Why do you read a measurement at the bottom of the meniscus?
Water curves upward at the glass, so the flat centre of the curve gives the true level. The convention is to read the lowest point of the curve at eye level.
