me·nis·cus
(mə-niskəs)
(mə-niskəs)n.pl. me·nis·ci(-nisi, -ki, -ke) 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, fromGreekmeniskos, diminutive ofmene, moon, month; see me-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
me·niscal(-kəl), me·niscate′(-kat′), me·niscoid′(-koid′), men′is·coidal(mĕn′is-koidl)adj.
meniscusanterior view of a knee joint