wrist

IPA/rɪst/
KK[rˈɪst]IPA/rɪst/

wrist — noun

  • wristsingular
  • wristsplural

1. the narrow area of the body that connects your hand to your lower arm and lets y

1.nounA2
Definition

the narrow area of the body that connects your hand to your lower arm and lets you bend and rotate your hand

Example

Rodrigo fell off his bike and broke his wrist.

collocation: break one's wrist

Devika wears a slim silver bracelet on her left wrist.

Common collocations
  • break one's wrist
  • sprain one's wrist
  • fracture one's wrist
  • wrist watch
  • wrist band
  • wrist strap
  • on one's wrist
Synonyms
  • wrist joint

    more precise anatomical term, used mainly in medical or fitness contexts

  • carpus

    formal medical term for the collection of bones in the wrist; rare in everyday language

Usage Note

Frequently used with possessive determiners (my wrist, his wrist) when talking about injuries or accessories. The medical term 'carpus' exists but is rarely used in everyday speech.

Common Mistakes

She wears a watch in her wrist.
She wears a watch on her wrist.
Accessories sit on the surface of the wrist, not inside it.
He hurt his hand wrist.
He hurt his wrist.
'Wrist' is a specific joint; adding 'hand' before it is unnecessary.
Idioms

a slap on the wrist

idiom

A very light punishment or a simple warning for doing something wrong.

The judge gave the teenager only a slap on the wrist for stealing.

Maya expected a fine, but she received just a slap on the wrist.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

wrist, elbow, and ankle are all joints that bend, but they connect different body parts. The wrist connects the hand to the lower arm and allows rotation as well as bending. The elbow connects the upper arm to the lower arm and mainly folds the arm. The ankle connects the foot to the lower leg and supports body weight. A person breaks their wrist when they fall onto an open hand, twists their ankle on uneven ground, or rests their elbow on a table. The choice depends on which part of the body is involved.

wrist ↗elbow ↗ankle ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • wrist sprain
  • wrist fracture
  • wrist watch

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Wrist comes from Old English 'wrist', the joint of the hand, related to 'wrīðan' meaning 'to twist' — a reference to the turning motion the joint allows. The word has been in continuous use since before the 12th century.