cartilage

IPA/ˈkɑːtɪlɪdʒ/
KK[kˈɑrtələdʒ]IPA/ˈkɑːrtɪlɪdʒ/

cartilage — noun

  • cartilagesingular
  • cartilagesplural

1. The smooth, rubbery material that cushions bones at the joints and gives shape t

1.nounB2
Definition

The smooth, rubbery material that cushions bones at the joints and gives shape to flexible body parts including the nose, ears, and throat.

Example

Eri damaged the cartilage in her right knee during the football match.

damaged + cartilage · knee cartilage

The surgeon repaired the torn cartilage in Anthony's shoulder using a small camera.

torn cartilage

Common collocations
  • torn cartilage
  • damaged cartilage
  • knee cartilage
  • cartilage injury
  • cartilage repair
  • cartilage graft
Synonyms
  • gristle

    Used mainly for cartilage found in meat or food, not in medical or anatomical contexts. e.g., 'chewing on a piece of gristle' vs. 'cartilage damage in the knee'.

Usage Note

As an uncountable noun, cartilage refers to the material in general ('The knee contains cartilage'). As a countable noun, it can refer to a specific piece or structure ('He has a torn cartilage in his knee'). The countable use is especially common in medical and sports contexts.

Common Mistakes

He tore the ligament in his knee.
He tore the cartilage in his knee.
A ligament connects bone to bone; cartilage is the cushioning tissue between bones.
The doctor said my bone is worn down.
The doctor said the cartilage in my joint is worn down.
What wears down with age is the cartilage between bones, not the bones themselves.

Word family

  • cartilaginous
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Cartilage, gristle, ligament, and tendon are all connective tissues, but they serve different roles. Cartilage is the smooth, rubbery cushion between bones that absorbs shock and prevents friction. Gristle is simply the everyday name for cartilage when found in meat — it has the same structure but is rarely used in medical writing. A ligament connects bone to bone and stabilises joints (e.g., the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee). A tendon attaches muscle to bone and enables movement (e.g., the Achilles tendon). A common injury pattern: a runner might tear knee cartilage (the cushion) by twisting, sprain a ligament by over-stretching, or strain a tendon by overloading the muscle.

gristle ↗ligamenttendon ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • piece of cartilage
  • layer of cartilage
  • area of cartilage

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinMiddle FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Cartilage entered English from Middle French during the 1400s, ultimately tracing back to the Latin word cartilago ('gristle'). The Latin root describes the firm but flexible material that in a developing fetus forms most of the skeleton before being gradually replaced by bone.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1