noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈkɑː.tɪl.ɪd͡ʒ/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈkɑːt.lɪd͡ʒ/
General-American:/ˈkɑɹ.təl.ɪd͡ʒ/
General-American:/ˈkɑɹt.lɪd͡ʒ/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:K AA1 R T AH0 L AH0 JH
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:K AA1 R T AH0 L IH0 JH
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A usually translucent and somewhat elastic, dense, nonvascular connective tissue found in various forms in the larynx and respiratory tract, in structures such as the external ear, and in the articulating surfaces of joints. It composes most of the skeleton of vertebrate embryos, being replaced by bone during ossification in the higher vertebrates.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: gristle
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A particular structure made of cartilage.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
tough elastic tissue; mostly converted to bone in adults
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
