noun, plural me·nis·ci [mi-nis-ahy, –nis-kahy, -kee] /mɪˈnɪs aɪ, -ˈnɪs kaɪ, -ki/, me·nis·cus·es.
- a crescent or a crescent-shaped body.
- the convex or concave upper surface of a column of liquid, the curvature of which is caused by surface tension.
- Optics. a lens with a crescent-shaped section; a concavo-convex or convexo-concave lens.
- Anatomy. a disk of cartilage between the articulating ends of the bones in a joint.
noun plural -nisci (-ˈnɪsaɪ) or -niscuses
- the curved upper surface of a liquid standing in a tube, produced by the surface tension
- a crescent or half-moon-shaped body or design
- a crescent-shaped fibrous cartilage between the bones at certain joints, esp at the knee
- a crescent-shaped lens; a concavo-convex or convexo-concave lens
n.“crescent-shaped body,” 1690s in reference to lenses, c.1812 in reference to liquid surfaces, Modern Latin meniscus, from Greek meniskos “lunar crescent,” diminutive of mene “moon” (see moon (n.)). Related: Meniscoid. n. pl. me•nis•cus•es
- A crescent-shaped body.
- A concavo-convex lens.
- The curved upper surface of a nonturbulent liquid in a container that is concave if the liquid wets the walls and convex if it does not.
- A disk of cartilage that acts as a cushion between the ends of bones in a joint.
Plural menisci (mə-nĭs′ī, -kī, -kē) meniscuses
- A lens that is concave on one side and convex on the other.
- 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.
- 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.