Cartilage is a strong, flexible substance in your body, especially around your joints and in your nose.
...a serious knee cartilage injury.
cartilage in British English
(ˈkɑːtɪlɪdʒ, ˈkɑːtlɪdʒ)
noun
a tough elastic tissue composing most of the embryonic skeleton of vertebrates. In the adults of higher vertebrates it is mostly converted into bone, remaining only on the articulating ends of bones, in the thorax, trachea, nose, and ears
Nontechnical name: gristle
Derived forms
cartilaginous (ˌkɑːtɪˈlædʒɪnəs)
adjective
Word origin
C16: from Latin cartilāgō
cartilage in American English
(ˈkɑrtəlɪdʒ)
noun
1.
tough, elastic, whitish animal tissue; gristle: the skeletons of embryos and young animals are composed largely of cartilage, most of which later turns to bone
2.
a part or structure consisting of cartilage
Word origin
ME & OFr < L cartilago: for IE base see hurdle
Examples of 'cartilage' in a sentence
cartilage
The result can be serious cartilage damage and permanent ear deformity.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The engineered graft was then put into the knees to replace damaged cartilage tissue.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
They then crafted the nose using cartilage from his ribs and buried it under the skin.
The Sun (2013)
Then cartilage from his knee will be needed to plug the damaged areas.
The Sun (2011)
It was always a cartilage problem in my knee.
The Sun (2006)
They are bone on bone with no cartilage.
The Sun (2008)
The early signs suggest he has damaged cartilage and will need surgery.
The Sun (2013)
It exists naturally in the body and helps to build cartilage tissue in the joints.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The cartilage in my nose would swell up.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He has no cartilage in his knee.
The Sun (2009)
The lawyer found her ear bleeding badly and was left with cartilage damage which could not be stitched.
The Sun (2010)
But he has now damaged cartilage in his right knee during training and could be out until next season.
The Sun (2008)
Badly performed nose jobs can result in lumps where the cut surface of bone or cartilage pushes against the skin.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Whether you have a cartilage problem.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The prop had knee cartilage surgery this week after being injured at Kingsholm.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
More serious are problems affecting cartilage within joints, such as knee joints.
Holford, Patrick The Family Nutrition Workbook (1988)
But in lab tests the team have managed to heal cartilage tissue with stem cells taken from the patient's own bone marrow.
The Sun (2008)
This is a flake of bone or cartilage floating around the joint - maybe you also damaged your knee when you injured your foot.
The Sun (2009)
The Zimbabwe striker has picked up a torn cartilage injury in training this week, but has been told by specialists that he can continue to play.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
A cartilage injury in February 2008 finished off last season for him but he still should have been back to form quicker than this.
The Sun (2009)
In other languages
cartilage
British English: cartilage NOUN
Cartilage is a strong, flexible substance in your body, especially around your joints and in your nose.