Jointed

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈd͡ʒɔɪntɪd/

Definitions

1. Having segments that are connected in a way that permits movement
2. Composed of parts that are linked together to facilitate bending or rotation
3. Made up of sections connected to allow motion between them ; formed by combining separate components into a single unit

Etymology: "Jointed" is about as plain as English word formation gets: the noun "joint" with the suffix "-ed" attached, turning a thing with joints into an adjective describing something that has them. The noun "joint" came into English from Old French "joint," the past participle of "joindre," meaning "to join," which itself descends from Latin "iungere," "to join" (the same root that gave English "junction" and "conjugal"). So the word carries the idea of things fastened together at a point of meeting. The sense of "joint" as a place where two parts connect, which lets them bend or pivot, is what the adjective builds on. A jointed fishing rod, a jointed doll, or a jointed insect leg all describe objects whose segments are linked so that they can move relative to one another.

Synonyms: articulated, segmented, connected, linked, hinged

Antonyms: unjointed, disconnected, separated