meniscus
/məˈnɪs.kəs/ noun
Forms meniscuses menisci
- noun A crescent moon, or an object shaped like it.
- noun (optics) A lens which is convex on one side and concave on the other, being crescent-shaped in cross-section.
- noun The curved surface of liquids in tubes, whether concave or convex, caused by the surface tension of the liquid.
- noun (anatomy) Either of two parts of the human knee that provide structural integrity to the knee when it undergoes tension and torsion.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Ancient Greek μηνίσκος (mēnískos, “crescent”), from μήνη (mḗnē, “moon”). Piecewise doublet of moonish.
Webster’s 1913
Etymology [NL., from Gr. mh`nh the moon.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “meniscus”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details