ossicle

Late 16th century, from Latin ossiculum (“little bone, ossicle”) from os (“bone”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈɒsɪkəl/

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ossicle (plural ossicles)

1. (anatomy) A small bone (or bony structure), especially one of the three of the middle ear.

   The incus is one of the three auditory ossicles.

   Synonyms: auditory bone, auditory ossicle, bonelet, ossicular chain, ossicule, ossiculum, otic bone

   Hyponyms: incus, malleus, stapes, hammer, anvil, stirrup

   Hypernyms: bone, os

2. (zoology) Bone-like joint or plate, especially:
   1. one of numerous small calcareous structures forming the skeleton of certain echinoderms, as the starfishes;
   2. one of the hard articuli or joints of the stem or branches of a crinoid or encrinite;
   3. one of the several small hard chitinous parts or processes of the gastric skeleton of crustaceans, as in the stomach of a lobster or crawfish.

   The skeleton of echinoderms is made of ossicles, linked to each other via muscles and connective tissue.

   • 1836, William Buckland, Geology and Mineralogy, Considered with Reference to Natural Theology, volume 1, William Pickering, page 174:

     The eyeballs were surrounded by a ring of bones, the sclerotic ossicle, which probably protected their eyes when diving abruptly for prey.

See os.

• otolith

• loessic, scolies

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [uˈsi.klə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencian) [oˈsi.kle]

ossicle m (plural ossicles)

1. ossicle (small bone)