plural femurs or femora
ˈfe-mə-rə 
ˈfem-rə
1
: the proximal bone of the hind or lower limb that extends from the hip to the knee
called also thigh bone
2
: the segment of an insect's leg that is third from the body
Examples of femur in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These are located on the inside of your thigh, spanning from your femur (or thigh bone) up to your pelvis.
—
Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024
Another possible flute from Slovenia, made from a cave bear femur, was dated to over 50,000 years ago and is suggested to have been made by Neanderthals.
—Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024
Within what felt like a heartbeat, my father collapsed and broke his femur, as a result of a heart that didn’t beat often enough.
—Peter Ubel, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Trochanteric bursitis affects the pointed upper, outside edge of the femur (the thigh bone), called the greater trochanter.
—Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 8 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for femur 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024
Another possible flute from Slovenia, made from a cave bear femur, was dated to over 50,000 years ago and is suggested to have been made by Neanderthals.
—Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024
Within what felt like a heartbeat, my father collapsed and broke his femur, as a result of a heart that didn’t beat often enough.
—Peter Ubel, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Trochanteric bursitis affects the pointed upper, outside edge of the femur (the thigh bone), called the greater trochanter.
—Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 8 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for femur
Dictionary Entries Near femur
Cite this Entry
“Femur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/femur. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
femur
noun
fe·mur
ˈfē-mər
plural femurs or femora
ˈfem-(ə-)rə
1
: the long bone of the hind or lower limb extending from the hip to the knee
called also thighbone
2
: the segment of an insect's leg that is third from the body
femoral
adjective
ˈfem-(ə-)rəl
Medical Definition
femur
noun
fe·mur
ˈfē-mər
plural femurs or femora
ˈfem-(ə-)rə
1
: the proximal bone of the hind or lower limb that is the longest and largest bone in the human body, extends from the hip to the knee, articulates above with the acetabulum by a rounded head connected with the shaft of the bone by an oblique neck bearing a pair of trochanters for the attachment of muscles, and articulates with the tibia below by a pair of condyles
called also thigh bone
2
: the segment of an insect's leg that is third from the body
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share