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
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
Then, last year, in a preseason game against the Chiefs, Grant suffered a broken patella and again was out for the entire season.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 11 June 2024
Fun fact: Underneath your kneecap lives a lot of cartilage and a surface where your patella (kneecap) and femur (thigh bone) meet, Dr. Haas explains.
—Jenny McCoy, SELF, 9 May 2024
Star guard Paige Bueckers also missed the entire 2022-23 season with a torn ACL, as did redshirt freshman Ice Brady after dislocating her patella.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for patella 
Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 15 June 2024
Then, last year, in a preseason game against the Chiefs, Grant suffered a broken patella and again was out for the entire season.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 11 June 2024
Fun fact: Underneath your kneecap lives a lot of cartilage and a surface where your patella (kneecap) and femur (thigh bone) meet, Dr. Haas explains.
—Jenny McCoy, SELF, 9 May 2024
Star guard Paige Bueckers also missed the entire 2022-23 season with a torn ACL, as did redshirt freshman Ice Brady after dislocating her patella.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 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 15 Jul. 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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