Meaning & use
metacarpals
Last updated
UK/ˌmetəˈkɑːplz/
US/ˌmetəˈkɑːrplz/
“metacarpals” is a form of “metacarpal”.
Meaning
nounpluralmedicaltechnical
The five long bones in the palm of the hand, between the wrist and the finger bones.
Grammar: Plural of metacarpal: five metacarpals in each hand.
Patterns
- the metacarpals of the hand
She fractured one of her metacarpals in a fall.
The doctor pointed to the metacarpals on the X-ray.
Metacarpals connect the wrist bones to the fingers.
Word forms
| singular | metacarpal |
|---|
Common combinations
- break a metacarpal
- He broke a metacarpal punching the wall.
- fractured metacarpals
- Fractured metacarpals usually heal in a cast.
- metacarpals and phalanges
- The hand has metacarpals and phalanges.
- X-ray of the metacarpals
- The X-ray of the metacarpals showed a crack.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hand bones
- Hand bones is everyday language and includes all bones, while metacarpals names only the palm bones.
- palm bones
- Palm bones is a plain description of the metacarpals, less precise in medicine.
Word family
- metacarpal adjective
- relating to the palm bones
- carpals noun
- the small wrist bones
- phalanges noun
- the finger bones
- metacarpus noun
- the part of the hand containing these bones
Commonly confused: metacarpals or metatarsals?
metacarpals vs metatarsals
Metatarsals are the long bones of the foot, while metacarpals are in the hand.
Practice
Which bones connect the wrist to the fingers?
Choose one answer.
Metacarpals are in the palm. Metatarsals are in the foot, so they are a tempting but wrong choice.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “metacarpals”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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