Meaning & use
ligament
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Meanings
nouncountable
A strong band of tissue that holds two bones together at a joint.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a ligament, two ligaments, or the ligaments in a knee.
Patterns
- a ligament in something
- tear a ligament
- stretch a ligament
She tore a ligament in her knee while playing soccer.
The surgeon repaired two ligaments in his ankle.
Ligaments and tendons are both made of tough tissue, but they connect different things.
nouncountablemedical
A fold of tissue that supports an organ or keeps it in place in the body.
Grammar: Often used in medical descriptions; you may see it in plural forms like the broad ligaments.
Patterns
- the broad ligament
- a ligament supporting something
The uterus is held in position partly by the broad ligament.
Damage to the supporting ligaments can cause the organ to move.
Word forms
| plural | ligaments |
|---|
Common combinations
- tear a ligament
- He tore a ligament in his thumb during the match.
- knee ligament
- A knee ligament injury can take months to heal.
- ligament damage
- The scan showed ligament damage but no broken bones.
- pull a ligament
- She pulled a ligament in her back lifting the box.
- repair a ligament
- The operation to repair the ligament was successful.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tendon
- A tendon connects muscle to bone, not bone to bone, so it is not a true synonym but is often mentioned together.
Word family
- ligamentous adjective
- Relating to ligaments or made of ligament tissue.
Commonly confused: ligament or tendon? ligament or cartilage?
ligament vs tendon
A tendon joins muscle to bone, while a ligament joins bone to bone. People often mix up the two words.
ligament vs cartilage
Cartilage is a smooth, rubbery tissue that covers the ends of bones; a ligament is a tough band that holds bones together.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'ligament' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A ligament connects bone to bone and can be torn by a sudden movement, so 'tore a ligament in his knee' is correct. Option A describes a tendon, not a ligament; option B is wrong because ligaments are not usually described as 'broken' (bones break); option D is wrong because a ligament is not a blood vessel.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ligament”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.