femur

noun

fe·​mur ˈfē-mər How to pronounce femur (audio)
plural femurs or femora ˈfe-mə-rə How to pronounce femur (audio)
ˈfem-rə
1
: the proximal bone of the hind or lower limb that extends from the hip to the knee

called also thigh bone

2
: the segment of an insect's leg that is third from the body

Examples of femur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In Cohen's case, his distal femur bone was amputated, and his tibia bone was rotated 180 degrees and fused with what remained of his femur. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026 Similarly, the femur and patella surgeries were also successful and the fantastic surgery team was able to save my left leg. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026 It was chosen because this animal’s femur lacks a crest or raised bony protrusion – known as a trochanter – where part of the tail musculature would attach. — The Conversation, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026 The grandfather, said to be in his mid-60s, broke his femur in four places and underwent surgery. — Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for femur

Word History

Etymology

New Latin femor-, femur, from Latin, thigh

First Known Use

1666, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of femur was in 1666

Rhymes for femur

See All Rhymes for femur

Browse Nearby Words

femtosecond
femur
fen
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Femur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/femur. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

femur

noun
fe·​mur ˈfē-mər How to pronounce femur (audio)
plural femurs or femora ˈfem-(ə-)rə How to pronounce femur (audio)
1
: the long bone of the hind or lower limb extending from the hip to the knee

called also thighbone

2
: the segment of an insect's leg that is third from the body
femoral
ˈfem-(ə-)rəl
adjective

Medical Definition

femur

noun
fe·​mur ˈfē-mər How to pronounce femur (audio)
plural femurs or femora ˈfem-(ə-)rə How to pronounce femur (audio)
1
: the proximal bone of the hind or lower limb that is the longest and largest bone in the human body, extends from the hip to the knee, articulates above with the acetabulum by a rounded head connected with the shaft of the bone by an oblique neck bearing a pair of trochanters for the attachment of muscles, and articulates with the tibia below by a pair of condyles

called also thigh bone

2
: the segment of an insect's leg that is third from the body

More from Merriam-Webster on femur

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about femur

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All