plural patellae
pə-ˈte-(ˌ)lē 
-ˌlī
or patellas
-ˌlī
or patellas
: a thick flat triangular movable bone that forms the anterior point of the knee and protects the front of the joint : kneecap
… the quadriceps are attached at the anterior and anterior lateral aspect of the patella and are extensors of the knee joint.—
John B. Rizzotto
John B. Rizzotto… a few horses suffer from a slipping of the patella—the little bone on the front of the stifle that is similar to the human kneecap—locking the joint so that it cannot flex properly.—Heather Smith Thomas
Heather Smith ThomasThe human knee is specialized for walking upright too: to compensate for the thighbone's being at an angle, there's a lump, or groove, at the end of the femur that prevents the patella from sliding off the joint.—Michael D. Lemonick and Andrea Dorfman
Michael D. Lemonick and Andrea DorfmanExamples of patella in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The point at which the femur (leg bone) and patella (kneebone) connect is cushioned with articular cartilage.2 This helps the knee and leg move smoothly together and protects your knees from injury.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 30 July 2024
John Schreiber exited after experiencing discomfort in the patella tendon of his right knee.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2024
In April 2023, during a match against Ireland, Mallory was carted off the field in the first half with a torn patella tendon in her left knee.
—Julia Meehan, Peoplemag, 24 July 2024
Center fielder Brenton Doyle was a late scratch from the starting lineup for Saturday night’s game because of what the Rockies called a left patella tendinitis.
—Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 15 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for patella 
wendy Wisner, Parents, 30 July 2024
John Schreiber exited after experiencing discomfort in the patella tendon of his right knee.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2024
In April 2023, during a match against Ireland, Mallory was carted off the field in the first half with a torn patella tendon in her left knee.
—Julia Meehan, Peoplemag, 24 July 2024
Center fielder Brenton Doyle was a late scratch from the starting lineup for Saturday night’s game because of what the Rockies called a left patella tendinitis.
—Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 15 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for patella
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'patella.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Patella.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patella. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
patella
noun
pa·tel·la
pə-ˈtel-ə
plural patellae
-ˈtel-(ˌ)ē
-ˌī
or patellas
-ˌī
or patellas
: a thick flat triangular movable bone that forms the anterior point of the knee, protects the front of the joint, increases the leverage of the quadriceps, and is usually regarded as a sesamoid bone since it is developed in the tendon of the quadriceps and in structure is similar to other sesamoid bones
called also kneecap, kneepan
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