English Reference

Word

tendon

Phoneticsten·don

US/ˈtɛndən/

UK/tˈɛndən/

Definitions

01body tissue

C1 · Medicine

n. a tough, strong band of tissue that connects a muscle to a bone and helps you move.

n. a band of dense, fibrous collagen tissue that connects muscle to bone and transmits the mechanical force of muscle contraction.

“The athlete had to stop training after he injured a tendon in his heel.”

“The surgeon explained that the Achilles tendon is the thickest and strongest in the human body, essential for running and jumping.”

Technical

Pitfall

He tore a tendon in his knee that connects two bones.

He tore a ligament in his knee that connects two bones.

Learners often confuse 'tendon' (muscle to bone) with 'ligament' (bone to bone).

Synonyms

sinew

Antonyms

02engineering/construction

C2 · Science

n. a steel wire or bar used to make concrete stronger.

n. a high-strength steel element, such as a wire, cable, or bar, used to impart prestress to concrete structures.

“Engineers used steel tendons to strengthen the bridge's concrete beams.”

“The structural integrity of the post-tensioned slab relies on the precise tensioning of the internal steel tendons after the concrete has cured.”

Technical

Real-World Examples

“Kindell, who once made all his dough by hand – until an elbow tendon injury forced him to investigate using machines instead, is now working on his own version of a pizza-making robot.”
BBC News · 27 Aug 2026
“In other insects, it helps form durable structures such as wing hinges and tendons that must bend repeatedly without wearing out.”
ScienceDaily · 27 Jul 2026

Etymology

Borrowed from French tendon or Medieval Latin tendō, from Ancient Greek τένων (ténōn, “sinew, tendon”), modified by association with the verb tendō (“to stretch”). Compare Middle English thenoun.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Domains

AnatomyBiology

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference