ligament
/li.ɡa.mɑ̃/masculine
The English word 'ligament' is ligament in French.
ligament refers to a band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position.
Meaning: band of strong tissue that holds the bones of an animal in position (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word consists of 3 syllables and is pronounced /li.ɡa.mɑ̃/.
Did you know?
- The Latin root ligō, which gave us ligament, is also the root for the English word 'ligature', used in both medicine and typography.
- In a figurative sense, French writers sometimes use terms related to 'binding' or 'tying' to describe emotional bonds, echoing the root meaning of ligament.
- In French, the term ligament is often used in the phrase ligament croisé, which refers specifically to the cruciate ligament of the knee.
Examples in context
- Il s'est étiré le ligament.He tore his ligament.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe tearing a ligament.Tatoeba #4696229 by sacredceltic, translation #2217629 by Hybrid
- Le ligament croisé antérieur de mon genou est blessé.The anterior cruciate ligament of my knee is injured.
- Le chirurgien a examiné le ligament.The surgeon examined the ligament.
- Ce ligament est très solide.This ligament is very strong.
Example conversation
Lucas is talking to Chloé at a doctor's office.
- LucasLe médecin a trouvé un problème au ligament.The doctor found a problem with the ligament.
- ChloéEst-ce que c'est grave, Lucas ?Is it serious, Lucas?
- LucasNon, c'est juste une petite inflammation du ligament.No, it's just a small inflammation of the ligament.
- ChloéTu dois donc bien te reposer.You must rest well then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ligament” translations and entries ligament, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
