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metacarpal: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

C2
UK/ˌmet.əˈkɑː.pəl/US/ˌmet̬.əˈkɑːr.pəl/

Technical/Medical

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Quick answer

What does “metacarpal” mean?

Any of the five bones in the hand between the wrist (carpus) and the fingers (phalanges).

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

Any of the five bones in the hand between the wrist (carpus) and the fingers (phalanges).

Pertaining to or located in the metacarpus; the region of the hand containing these bones.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling is identical.

Connotations

Identical technical/medical connotations in both varieties.

Frequency

Equally low-frequency in both varieties, confined to medical, anatomical, and sports injury contexts.

Grammar

How to Use “metacarpal” in a Sentence

[adjective] metacarpal[noun] of the metacarpalfracture in the [ordinal] metacarpal

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
metacarpal bonemetacarpal fracturemetacarpal jointmetacarpal region
medium
fifth metacarpalthird metacarpalmetacarpal injurymetacarpal head
weak
metacarpal painmetacarpal areabroken metacarpalmetacarpal surgery

Examples

Examples of “metacarpal” in a Sentence

adjective

British English

  • The surgeon identified damage to the metacarpal ligaments.

American English

  • She felt a sharp pain in the metacarpal region after the punch.

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Virtually never used.

Academic

Used in medical, anatomical, biological, and veterinary science texts.

Everyday

Rare. Might be used when discussing a specific hand injury with a medical professional.

Technical

The primary context. Used in medical diagnoses, surgical reports, anatomy textbooks, and physiotherapy.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “metacarpal”

Neutral

hand bone (informal, non-specific)

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “metacarpal”

metatarsal (bone in the foot)

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “metacarpal”

  • Using 'metacarpal' to refer to the wrist bones (carpals) or finger bones (phalanges).
  • Misspelling as 'metacarpel' (confusion with 'carpel' in botany).

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

No, it is a low-frequency, technical term used almost exclusively in medical, anatomical, and related fields.

No, 'metacarpal' functions only as a noun (the bone) or an adjective (relating to that part of the hand).

There are five metacarpal bones, one for each digit (thumb and four fingers).

'Carpal' refers to the eight small bones that make up the wrist. 'Metacarpal' refers to the five longer bones in the palm that connect the wrist to the fingers.

Any of the five bones in the hand between the wrist (carpus) and the fingers (phalanges).

Metacarpal is usually technical/medical in register.

Metacarpal: in British English it is pronounced /ˌmet.əˈkɑː.pəl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌmet̬.əˈkɑːr.pəl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think: META (between) + CARPAL (wrist bones). It's the part of the hand META (between) the CARPALs (wrist) and the fingers.

Conceptual Metaphor

The hand's bridge/framework (connecting the wrist to the fingers).

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
A so-called 'boxer's fracture' typically involves the bone of the hand.
Multiple Choice

What is the primary function of the metacarpal bones?

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