Patellas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The small bones in the front of the knee joint that protect the knee and assist in leg movement
2. These are the kneecaps that serve to shield the knee and aid in extending the leg
3. They are the bony structures that cover the front of the knee, providing protection and supporting movement functions

Etymology: "Patellas" is simply the plural of "patella," the kneecap. The Latin "patella" was a diminutive of "patina," a broad, shallow dish or pan, so the bone was named for its resemblance to a little pan. Latin speakers used the same word for a small plate or dish, and the anatomical sense of the kneepan grew out of that everyday meaning. The two words share an unexpected kinship with another familiar term. "Paella," the Spanish rice dish cooked in a wide, shallow pan, is a doublet of "patella," meaning the two words descend from the same Latin source by different routes into different languages. The pan that gives its name to the Valencian dish and the bone that sits over the knee are, etymologically, cousins.

Synonyms: kneecaps, knees