Tendon

//ˈtɛn.dən// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A tough band of flexible but inelastic fibrous collagen tissue that connects a muscle with its bony attachment and transmits the force which the muscle exerts.

    "I hear a wrenching sound of tendons stretching and testing their anchors on the bone."

  2. 2
    a cord or band of inelastic tissue connecting a muscle with its bony attachment wordnet
  3. 3
    The hamstring of a quadruped.
  4. 4
    A wire or bar used to strengthen prestressed concrete.

Synonyms

All synonyms
sinewbonebraidbrailbuttoncable

Example

More examples

"About four years ago my Achilles tendon started to hurt and I was told it was Achilles tendonitis."

Etymology

Borrowed from French tendon or Medieval Latin tendō, from Ancient Greek τένων (ténōn, “sinew, tendon”), modified by association with the verb tendō (“to stretch”). Compare Middle English thenoun.

Related phrases

Achilles tendonAchilles’ tendoncalcaneal tendonquadriceps tendontendon of Achillesprestressed concrete

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.