patella

See also: Patella and patel·la

English

A diagram of a front view of the knee, showing the patella at centre

Etymology

From Latin patella (“a small pan or dish, a plate; the kneepan, patella”), diminutive of patina (“a broad shallow dish, pan”). Doublet of paella.

Pronunciation

• (US) enPR: pətĕl'ə, IPA^(key): /pəˈtɛlə/

Noun

patella (plural patellas or patellae)

1. (anatomy) The sesamoid bone of the knee; the kneecap.
   • 2004, Ann Seranne, The Joy of Breeding Your Own Show Dog, page 188,

     Subluxed patellas, more commonly referred to as slipped stifles, like all inherited factors will continue to cripple a breed as long as breeders continue to mate affected animals.

   • 2005, Roger E. Stevenson, 20: Limbs, Roger E. Stevenson, Judith G. Hall, Human Malformations and Related Anomalies, page 920,

     Since patella diameter is a feature of continuous variation, the majority of small patellas represent simply the lower extreme of normal anatomic variation.

   • 2006, Erik Trinkaus, 18: The Lower Limb Remains, Erik Trinkaus, Jiří Svoboda (editors), Early Modern Human Evolution in Central Europe, page 395,

     Both patellae are well preserved for Dolni Věstonice 3 and 13-15, and the left patella remains for Dolni Věstonice 16 (Figures 18.22 to 18.26).

   • 2009, P. Tohomson, 14: Assessment of the paediatric patient, Ben Yates (editor), Merriman's Assessment of the Lower Limb, page 401,

     The patellae may be up to 30° externally rotated at birth. In young children it is considered normal for the patellae to be externally rotated, but by 5 years of age the patellae should face forwards.

2. A little dish or vase.

Synonyms

• (kneecap): kneecap, kneepan, rotula

Derived terms

Derived terms

• chondromalacia patellae
• patellar

• patellar reflex
• patellate

Translations

kneecap — see kneecap

Further reading

• “patella” in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• patella in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• patella at OneLook Dictionary Search

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Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /paˈtɛl.la/
• Rhymes: -ɛlla
• Hyphenation: pa‧tèl‧la

Noun

patella f (plural patelle)

1. (anatomy) patella, kneecap, rotula
2. (mollusk) limpet

Derived terms

• patellare

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Latin

Etymology

From patina (“a broad shallow dish, pan”) or patera (“broad flat dish”) +‎ -la (diminutive suffix).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /paˈtel.la/, [päˈt̪ɛlːʲä]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /paˈtel.la/, [päˈt̪ɛlːä]

Noun

patella f (genitive patellae); first declension

1. a small or shallow pan or dish
2. the kneecap, patella
3. a disease of the olive tree

Declension

First-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	patella	patellae
Genitive	patellae	patellārum
Dative	patellae	patellīs
Accusative	patellam	patellās
Ablative	patellā	patellīs
Vocative	patella	patellae

Derived terms

• patellula (New Latin)

Descendants

• Dalmatian: padella
• → English: patella
• Old French: paelle
  • French: poêle
    • → South Slavey: libé
  • Norman: paêle, pêle
  • Catalan: paella
    • Spanish: paella
      • English: paella
• → French: patelle
• Friulian: padiele
• Galician: patela
• → Ancient Greek: πάτελλα (pátella)
• Italian: padella
• Occitan: padela, paela
• Piedmontese: padela
• Portuguese: patela
• Romansch: pateala, patela, patella
• Sicilian: padedda, paredda
• Spanish: padilla, paila
• Venetian: paeła
• Welsh: padell

References

• patella in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• patella in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• patella in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• patella in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
• patella in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• patella in William Smith, editor (1848) A Dictionary of Greek Biography and Mythology, London: John Murray
• patella in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin