tibia

views updated May 11 2018

tib·i·a / ˈtibēə/ • n. (pl. tib·i·ae / ˈtibēˌē/ or tib·i·as) Anat. the inner and typically larger of the two bones between the knee and the ankle (or the equivalent joints in other terrestrial vertebrates), parallel with the fibula. ∎ Zool. the tibiotarsus of a bird. ∎ Entomol. the fourth segment of the leg of an insect, between the femur and the tarsus.DERIVATIVES: tib·i·al adj.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

tibia

views updated May 14 2018

tibia
1. The larger of the two bones of the lower hindlimb of terrestrial vertebrates (compare fibula). It articulates with the femur at the knee and with the tarsus at the ankle. The tibia is the major load-bearing bone of the lower leg.

2. The fourth segment of an insect's leg, which is attached to the femur.

A Dictionary of Biology

tibia

views updated May 18 2018

tibia
1. In a tetrapod vertebrate, the anterior long bone of the lower hind limb (the ‘shin’ bone).

2. In an insect, the long and often narrow segment of the leg that articulates proximally with the femur and distally with the tarsus. The tibia contains the muscles that control the tarsi. The musculature operating the tibia is found in the femur, and acts through the agency of a tendon.

A Dictionary of Zoology MICHAEL ALLABY

tibia

views updated May 08 2018

tibia
1. In a tetrapod vertebrate (Tetrapoda), the anterior long bone of the lower hind limb (the ‘shin’ bone).

2. In an insect (Insecta), the long and often narrow segment of the leg that articulates proximally with the femur (or ‘thigh’) and distally with the tarsus (or ‘foot’).

A Dictionary of Earth Sciences AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY

tibia

views updated May 14 2018

tibia (shinbone) Inner and larger of the two lower leg bones. It articulates with the femur, or upper leg bone, at the knee and extends to the ankle, where its lower end forms the projecting ankle bone on the inside of the leg. See also fibula

World Encyclopedia

tibia

views updated May 17 2018

tibia. Org. stop, not brilliant but full-toned. Varieties are: tibia major (8′ or 16′ length and pitch); tibia minor (4′ or 8′); tibia plena (8′, loud); tibia profunda (16′); tibia dura (4′, hard in tone); tibia clausa (4′).

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE

tibia

views updated May 23 2018

tibia (tib-iă) n. the shin bone: the inner and larger bone of the lower leg. It articulates with the femur above, with the talus below, and with the fibula to the side.
—tibial (tib-iăl) adj.

A Dictionary of Nursing