carpal

Meanings

1. 1adjectivebefore a nounmedical

   Relating to the wrist, especially the small bones that make up the wrist joint.

   Grammar: Comes before a noun: a carpal bone, carpal tunnel.

   Patterns

   • carpal bone
   • carpal tunnel

   The scan showed a small crack in one of the carpal bones.

   Typing for hours can put pressure on the carpal tunnel.

   The surgeon repaired the damaged carpal ligament.

2. 2nouncountablemedical

   Any one of the eight small bones forming the wrist.

   Grammar: Often plural: the carpals form the wrist.

   Patterns

   • the carpals of the hand

   The scaphoid is the carpal most often broken in a fall.

   Students had to learn the names of all eight carpals.

Word forms

Common combinations

carpal tunnel syndrome

She was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome after years of office work.

carpal bone

A carpal bone in his wrist was fractured.

carpal tunnel surgery

Carpal tunnel surgery usually takes less than an hour.

carpal joint

The carpal joint allows the hand to bend.

Synonyms and how they differ

wrist

Wrist is the everyday word for the whole joint, while carpal is a technical adjective or the name of its bones.

Word family

carpus noun

the technical name for the wrist as a whole

metacarpal noun

one of the bones in the palm of the hand

metacarpus noun

the group of bones in the palm

Commonly confused: carpal or tarsal?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “carpal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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