metacarpus

metacarpus
The five bones of the hand between the carpus and the phalanges. [meta- + G. karpos, wrist]

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meta·car·pus .met-ə-'kär-pəs n the part of the human hand or the front foot in quadrupeds between the carpus and the phalanges that contains five more or less elongated bones when all the digits are present (as in humans) but is modified in many animals by the loss or reduction of some bones or the fusing of adjacent bones

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n.
the five bones of the hand that connect the carpus (wrist) to the phalanges (digits).

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meta·car·pus (met″ə-kahrґpəs) [meta- + carpus] [TA] the part of the hand between the wrist and the fingers, its skeleton being five cylindric bones (metacarpals) extending from the carpus to the phalanges. See also ossa metacarpi, under os2.

Metacarpus, comprising the metacarpal bones, which extend between the carpus and phalanges and are numbered lateromedially.


Medical dictionary. 2011.

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Metacarpus — Met a*car pus, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ?; ? beyond, between + ? the wrist.] (Anat.) That part of the skeleton of the hand or forefoot between the carpus and phalanges. In man it consists of five bones. See Illust. of {Artiodactyla}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Metacarpus — Metacarpus, die Mittelhand …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Metacarpus — (lat.), die Mittelhand, s. Hand …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Metacarpus — Metacarpus, Metacarpĭum (grch.), die Mittelhand, s. Hand …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • metacarpus — 1650s, Modern Latin, from Gk. metakarpion, from meta (see META (Cf. meta )) + karpos wrist (see CARPUS (Cf. carpus)). Related: Metacarpal …   Etymology dictionary

  • metacarpus — ► NOUN (pl. metacarpi) ▪ the group of five bones of the hand between the wrist and the fingers. DERIVATIVES metacarpal adjective & noun. ORIGIN Greek metakarpion …   English terms dictionary

  • metacarpus — [mə΄tab′əkär′pəs] n. pl. metacarpi [mə΄tab′ə kär′pī΄] [ModL, altered < metacarpium < Gr metakarpion < meta,META + karpion, dim. of karpos: see CARPUS] 1. the part of the hand consisting of the five bones between the wrist and the fingers …   English World dictionary

  • Metacarpus — Bone: Metacarpals The five metacarpal bones, numbered. (Left hand shown with thumb on right.) …   Wikipedia

  • Metacarpus — Hand des Menschen, Mittelhandknochen braun Die Mittelhand (lat.: Metacarpus) bezeichnet den mittleren Abschnitt der Hand zwischen Handwurzel und Fingern. Bei Tieren wird auch die Bezeichnung Vordermittelfuß verwendet. Inhaltsverzeichnis …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • metacarpus —   n. hand between wrist and base of fingers.    ♦ metacarpal, a.; n. bone of the metacarpus …   Dictionary of difficult words

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