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
Sharpshooting reserve shooting guard Gary Trent Jr., meanwhile, was also seen as probable to play through his own left patella tendinopathy.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 23 Mar. 2025
Hampus Lindholm is also not with the club, most likely out for the year because of his broken patella.
—Fluto Shinzawa, The Athletic, 9 Mar. 2025
There have been several setbacks since the surgery, the first of which was a torn patella tendon in December 2023.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 17 Mar. 2025
This can consist of harvesting a tendon from another part of your body, most often part of your patella tendon or your hamstring tendons, specifically the gracilis and semitendinosus tendons, to then serve as a graft.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patella
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 23 Mar. 2025
Hampus Lindholm is also not with the club, most likely out for the year because of his broken patella.
—Fluto Shinzawa, The Athletic, 9 Mar. 2025
There have been several setbacks since the surgery, the first of which was a torn patella tendon in December 2023.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 17 Mar. 2025
This can consist of harvesting a tendon from another part of your body, most often part of your patella tendon or your hamstring tendons, specifically the gracilis and semitendinosus tendons, to then serve as a graft.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patella
Cite this Entry
“Patella.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patella. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share