Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.

Origin and history of tendon

tendon(n.)

"dense, fibrous band at the end of a muscle for attachment to a hard part," 1540s, from Medieval Latin tendonem (nominative tendo), altered (by influence of Latin tendere "to stretch") from Late Latin tenon, from Greek tenon (genitive tenontos) "tendon, sinew" (from PIE *ten-on- "something stretched," from root *ten- "to stretch"). Earlier in English as tenoun (late 14c.), from the unaltered Latin form.

also from 1540s

Entries linking to tendon

tendinitis(n.)

"inflammation of a tendon," 1900, from Medieval Latin tendinis, genitive of tendo (see tendon) + -itis "inflammation."

tendinous(adj.)

"having or full of tendons," 1650s, from Medieval Latin tendinous, from tendin-, genitive of tendo (see tendon). Related: Tendinal (late 14c.).

*ten-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to stretch," with derivatives meaning "something stretched, a string; thin."

It might form all or part of: abstain; abstention; abstinence; abstinent; atelectasis; attend; attenuate; attenuation; baritone; catatonia; catatonic; contain; contend; continue; detain; detente; detention; diatonic; distend; entertain; extend; extenuate; hypotenuse; hypotonia; intend; intone (v.1) "to sing, chant;" isotonic; lieutenant; locum-tenens; maintain; monotony; neoteny; obtain; ostensible; peritoneum; pertain; pertinacious; portend; pretend; rein; retain; retinue; sitar; subtend; sustain; tantra; telangiectasia; temple (n.1) "building for worship;" temple (n.2) "flattened area on either side of the forehead;" temporal; tenable; tenacious; tenacity; tenant; tend (v.1) "to incline, to move in a certain direction;" tendency; tender (adj.) "soft, easily injured;" tender (v.) "to offer formally;" tendon; tendril; tenement; tenesmus; tenet; tennis; tenon; tenor; tense (adj.) "stretched tight;" tensile; tension; tensor; tent (n.) "portable shelter;" tenterhooks; tenuous; tenure; tetanus; thin; tone; tonic.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit tantram "loom," tanoti "stretches, lasts," tanuh "thin," literally "stretched out;" Persian tar "string;" Lithuanian tankus "compact," i.e. "tightened;" Greek teinein "to stretch," tasis "a stretching, tension," tenos "sinew," tetanos "stiff, rigid," tonos "string," hence "sound, pitch;" Latin tenere "to hold, grasp, keep, have possession, maintain," tendere "to stretch," tenuis "thin, rare, fine;" Old Church Slavonic tento "cord;" Old English þynne "thin."