meniscus (redirected from meniscate)

me·nis·cus  (m-nsks) n. pl. me·nis·ci (-ns, -k, -k) or me·nis·cus·es 1. A crescent-shaped body. 2. A concavo-convex lens. 3. The curved upper surface of a nonturbulent liquid in a container that is concave if the liquid wets the container walls and convex if it does not. 4. A cartilage disk that acts as a cushion between the ends of bones that meet in a joint. [New Latin, from Greek mniskos, diminutive of mn, moon, month; see m-2 in Indo-European roots.] me·niscal (-kl), me·niscate (-kt), me·niscoid (-koid), menis·coidal (mns-koidl) adj.

meniscus anterior view of a knee joint

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meniscus [mɪˈnɪskəs]

n pl -nisci [-ˈnɪsaɪ], -niscuses

1. (Physics / General Physics) the curved upper surface of a liquid standing in a tube, produced by the surface tension

2. a crescent or half-moon-shaped body or design

3. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Anatomy) a crescent-shaped fibrous cartilage between the bones at certain joints, esp at the knee

4. (Physics / General Physics) a crescent-shaped lens; a concavo-convex or convexo-concave lens

[from New Latin, from Greek mēniskos crescent, diminutive of mēnē moon]

meniscoid  adj

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meniscus  (m-nsks) Plural menisci (m-ns, -k, -k) or meniscuses 1. A lens that is concave on one side and convex on the other. 2. The curved upper surface of a column of liquid in a container. The surface is concave if the molecules of the liquid are attracted to the container walls and convex if they are not. See also surface tension. 3. A piece of cartilage shaped like a crescent and located at the junction of two bones in a joint. The meniscus acts to absorb shock.

meniscus left: Water and glass molecules are attracted to each other, causing the surface of the water to attach to the glass and curve upward. right: Mercury and glass molecules are repulsed by each other, causing the surface of the mercury to curve downward and away from the glass.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	meniscus - (anatomy) a disk of cartilage that serves as a cushion between the ends of bones that meet at a joint semilunar cartilage cartilage, gristle - tough elastic tissue; mostly converted to bone in adults anatomy, general anatomy - the branch of morphology that deals with the structure of animals
	2.	meniscus - (optics) a lens that is concave on one side and convex on the other lens, lens system, lense - a transparent optical device used to converge or diverge transmitted light and to form images optics - the branch of physics that studies the physical properties of light
	3.	meniscus - (physics) the curved upper surface of a nonturbulent liquid in a vertical tube surface - the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary; "there is a special cleaner for these surfaces"; "the cloth had a pattern of red dots on a white surface" natural philosophy, physics - the science of matter and energy and their interactions; "his favorite subject was physics"

Translations

meniscus [məˈnɪskəs] N (meniscuses or menisci (pl)) [mɪˈnɪsaɪ] → menisco m

meniscus

n pl <menisci> → Meniskus m

meniscus [mɪˈnɪskəs] n (meniscuses or menisci (pl)) [mɪˈnɪsaɪ] → menisco

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meniscus [mɪˈnɪskəs] n (meniscuses or menisci (pl)) [mɪˈnɪsaɪ] → menisco