round ligament

round ligament (plural round ligaments)

1. (anatomy) Either of two ligaments running from the uterus through the inguinal canal to the labia majora; ligamentum teres uteri.
   • 1822, Samuel Cooper, A Dictionary of Practical Surgery, →OCLC, page 630:

     It is observed by Professor Scarpa, that "the round ligament of the uterus, in passing through the abdominal muscles, follows precisely the same track as the spermatic cord."

2. (anatomy) A string of tissue dividing the liver into medial and lateral sections; ligamentum teres hepatis.
   • 1902, Aurthur Robinson, editor, Cunningham's Textbook of Anatomy, 5th edition, published 1918, page 1196:

     Ligamentum Teres Hepatis. — The round ligament of the liver is a stout fibrous band which passes from the umbilicus, backwards and upwards, within the free margin of the falciform ligament...

3. (anatomy) Any of various rounded ligaments in the body; ligamentum teres.
   • 1827, “Operation for anchylosis of the hip-joint”, in The Lancet London, volume 12, page 683:

     ...that the violence of the fall had produced an extensive contusion of the round ligament and joint...