Dictionary entry

Ligament

Webster's Dictionary 1913

Lig″a‐ment (lĭg″ȧ‐ment), n. [L. ligamentum, fr. ligare to bind: cf. F. ligament. Cf. Lien, n., Ligature.]

1. Anything that ties or unites one thing or part to another; a bandage; a bond. Hawthorne.

Interwoven is the love of liberty with every ligament of your hearts. Washington.

2. (Anat.) (a) A tough band or plate of dense, fibrous, connective tissue or fibrocartilage serving to unite bones or form joints. (b) A band of connective tissue, or a membranous fold, which supports or retains an organ in place; as, the gastrophrenic ligament, connecting the diaphragm and stomach.