Standard Lemma guide

ossicle

noun · 5 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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  • /ˈɒsɪkəl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A small bone (or bony structure), especially one of the three of the middle ear.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences

Examples

  • The incus is one of the three auditory ossicles.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: auditory bone, auditory ossicle, bonelet, ossicular chain, ossicule, ossiculum, otic bone

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: bone, os

2

noun

Meaning 2

Bone-like joint or plate.

One of numerous small calcareous structures forming the skeleton of certain echinoderms, as the starfishes.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology

Examples

  • The skeleton of echinoderms is made of ossicles, linked to each other via muscles and connective tissue.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Bone-like joint or plate.

One of the hard articuli or joints of the stem or branches of a crinoid or encrinite.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Bone-like joint or plate.

One of the several small hard chitinous parts or processes of the gastric skeleton of crustaceans, as in the stomach of a lobster or crawfish.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

a small bone; especially one in the middle ear

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bonelet, ossiculum

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: bone, os

Narrower terms: auditory ossicle

History

Etymology

Late 16th century, from Latin ossiculum (“little bone, ossicle”) from os (“bone”).

Across languages

Translations

25 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: gehoorbeentjie — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Breton: askornig — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Bulgarian: костица (kostica) — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Catalan: ossicle — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Czech: kůstka — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Czech: sluchová kůstka — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Dutch: beentje — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Dutch: gehoorbeentje — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Finnish: kuuloluu — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • French: osselet — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • German: Gehörknöchelchen — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Hungarian: hallócsont — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Italian: ossicino — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Northern Kurdish: hestîkê bihîstinê — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Polish: kosteczka — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Polish: kostka — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Portuguese: ossículo — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Portuguese: ossinho — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Spanish: huesecillo — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Ukrainian: кі́сточка (kístočka) — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Walloon: oxhlet — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Welsh: esgyrnyn — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Welsh: asgyrnyn — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Zazaki: binagos — small bone in the ear; auditory ossicle
  • Polish: płytka (wapienna) — bone-like plate