adj · noun · 4 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
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mĕt′ə-kär′pəl
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌmɛt.əˈkɑː.pəl/
Canada, General-American:/ˌmɛt.əˈkɑɹ.pəl/
California:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian, New-Zealand:/ˌmet.əˈkɐː.pəl/
Scotland:/ˌmɛt.əˈkaɹ.pəl/
rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)pəl
CMU ARPABET:M EH2 T AH0 K AA1 R P AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of the metacarpus.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Any of the bones of the metacarpus.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: metacarpal bone
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: bone
3
adjective
Meaning 3
of or relating to the metacarpus
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
metacarpal bones
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
any bone of the hand between the wrist and fingers
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: metacarpal bone
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: bone, os
History
Etymology
From metacarpus + -al or metacarp- + -al.
Across languages
Translations
39 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
предкитков
(predkitkov)
— of the metacarpus
Catalan:
metacarpià
— of the metacarpus
Chinese Mandarin:
掌骨的
(zhǎnggǔ de)
— of the metacarpus
Finnish:
kämmen-
— of the metacarpus
French:
métacarpien
— of the metacarpus
Icelandic:
miðhandar-
— of the metacarpus
Icelandic:
handarbaks-
— of the metacarpus
Latin:
metacarpālis
— of the metacarpus
Polish:
śródręczny
— of the metacarpus
Portuguese:
metacarpal
— of the metacarpus
Russian:
пястно́й
(pjastnój)
— of the metacarpus
Russian:
метакарпа́льный
(metakarpálʹnyj)
— of the metacarpus
Spanish:
metacarpiano
— of the metacarpus
Swedish:
mellanhands-
— of the metacarpus
Arabic:
مُشْط الْيَد
(mušṭ al-yad)
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Arabic:
مشط الإيد
(mešṭ el ʔiyd)
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Bulgarian:
предкиткова кост
(predkitkova kost)
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Catalan:
metacarpià
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Chinese Mandarin:
掌骨
(zhǎnggǔ)
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Finnish:
kämmenluu
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
French:
métacarpe
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
German:
Mittelhandknochen
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Hungarian:
kézközépcsont
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Icelandic:
miðhandarbein
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Icelandic:
hnúaleggur
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Icelandic:
handarbaksleggur
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Italian:
metacarpo
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Northern Kurdish:
hestiyên şeyê dest
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Latin:
os carpī
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Latin:
manus
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Māori:
iwi papanui
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Polish:
kość śródręcza
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Portuguese:
metacárpico
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Portuguese:
metacarpiano
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Portuguese:
metacarpal
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Russian:
пястна́я кость
(pjastnája kostʹ)
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Spanish:
metacarpiano
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Swedish:
mellanhandsben
— any of the bones of the metacarpus
Swedish:
metakarpalben
— any of the bones of the metacarpus