Ankylosis
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 The growing together of bones to form a single unit. countable, uncountable
- 2 abnormal adhesion and rigidity of the bones of a joint wordnet
- 3 The stiffening of a joint as the result of such abnormal fusion. countable, uncountable
- 4 An onset of stiffness or inflexibility. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"Yet in using the word democracy, one must plead for a distinction, or, better, a reversion, indicated by the curious anchylosis that, at a certain point in their maturity, usually sets in upon words newly put in use to express some august and large spiritual reality."
Example
More examples"Yet in using the word democracy, one must plead for a distinction, or, better, a reversion, indicated by the curious anchylosis that, at a certain point in their maturity, usually sets in upon words newly put in use to express some august and large spiritual reality."
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἀγκύλωσις (ankúlōsis, “a stiffening of the joints”), from ἀγκυλόω (ankulóō, “to crook, bend”), from ἀγκύλος (ankúlos, “bent, crooked”). By surface analysis, ankyl- + -osis.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.