Tendonous

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Of, relating to, or having the nature of a tendon, the fibrous tissue that connects muscle to bone
2. Resembling or characteristic of a tendon in structure or function, being composed of tough fibrous material
3. Pertaining to or composed of tendons, the strong connective tissues that attach muscles to skeletal structures

Etymology: "Tendonous" is a straightforward formation: it is the English adjective "tendon" with the suffix "-ous," meaning "of the nature of" or "full of." The noun "tendon" entered English in the early 17th century, borrowed from Modern Latin "tendo," itself from the Latin verb "tendere," "to stretch." Anatomists took the Latin term for the fibrous cords that stretch between muscle and bone and gave it an English form, which is why the root's sense of tension and stretching is still built into the word. The "-ous" ending comes from Latin "-osus" through Old French, and English has attached it to nouns for centuries to make adjectives such as "fibrous" and "nervous." "Tendonous" follows that pattern, describing tissue that has the character of a tendon, typically tough, sinewy and fibrous rather than soft or muscular.