noun
tibia
TIH-bee-uh
Tibia (noun) means the shinbone — the larger of the two bones between the knee and ankle. Example: “He fractured his tibia in the skiing accident.”
noun
1
The shinbone — the larger of the two bones between the knee and ankle.
"Her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) are torn and Vonn has a lateral fracture of the tibial plateau, the upper end of the tibia or shin bone."
— Jen Christiensen, Vonn’s injury ‘career-delayer,’ not ‘career ender’ (2013)
"He fractured his tibia in the skiing accident."
2
In insects, one of the segments of a leg, between the femur and the foot.
"The beetle's tibia is covered in tiny spines."
How to use tibia
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe main shin bone in humans, or the equivalent leg segment in insects.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
fracture the tibia
tibia and fibula
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like tibia.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- tibias, tibiae
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
He fractured his _____ in the skiing accident.
Etymology
Borrowed directly from Latin tibia, "shin bone."
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for tibia
See all rhymes for tibia →Frequently asked questions
What does “tibia” mean?
The word “tibia” means the shinbone — the larger of the two bones between the knee and ankle. In plain terms, the main shin bone in humans, or the equivalent leg segment in insects.
How do you pronounce “tibia”?
“Tibia” is pronounced TIH-bee-uh (/ˈtɪbiə/ in IPA).
How do you use “tibia” in a sentence?
Here is “tibia” used in a sentence: “He fractured his tibia in the skiing accident.”
What is another word for “tibia”?
Words with a similar meaning to “tibia” include bone flute, shin, shinbone and shin bone.
What part of speech is “tibia”?
“Tibia” is a noun.
Where does the word “tibia” come from?
The word “tibia” comes from Latin. Borrowed directly from Latin tibia, "shin bone.".
How many meanings does “tibia” have?
“Tibia” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the shinbone — the larger of the two bones between the knee and ankle.