stapedes

Variant of stapes

stapes definition

sta·pes (stā′pēz′)

noun pl. stapes sta′·pes′ or stapedes sta·pe′des′ (stə pē′dēz′)

Anat. a small, stirrup-shaped bone, the innermost of a chain of three bones in the middle ear of mammals; stirrup

Etymology: ModL < ML, a stirrup, prob. < Gmc, as in MDu stap, a step, Langobardic staffa, step, stirrup

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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