Chondral

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Pertaining to or connected with cartilage, the firm flexible connective tissue found in various parts of the body
2. Associated with cartilage, the smooth elastic tissue that cushions joints and forms parts of the skeleton
3. Concerning cartilage, the dense tissue that provides support and flexibility in the body

Etymology: The word is built from two parts. The first is "chondr-", from Greek "khondros", meaning grain or cartilage (the Greek name was used for cartilage because of its granular, gristly texture). The second is the adjective-forming suffix "-al", which turns a noun into a word meaning "relating to" it. Put together, "chondral" simply means "relating to cartilage." The "chondr-" element is the same one found in "chondrocyte", a cartilage cell, and in "chondrite", a type of stony meteorite that contains small grains. Its ancient sense of grain is what links cartilage and those meteorites, since both are made up of tiny granular bodies.