Incus

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈiːŋ.kÉ™s/

Origin

From Latin incūs ("anvil").

Full definition of incus

Noun

1. (skeleton) A small anvil-shaped bone in the middle ear.
• 2010, Elaine N. Marieb & Katja Hoehn, Human Anatomy & Physiology, 8th edition, page 576The tympanic cavity is spanned by the three smallest bones in the body: the auditory ossicles... These bones, named for their shape, are the malleus (malʹe-us; "hammer"); the incus (ingʹkus; "anvil"); and the stapes (staʹpÄ“z; "stirrup").
2. (meteorology) an accessory cloud, in the shape of an anvil which forms by spreading at the top of a cumulonimbus.

Synonyms

• (bone in the middle ear) anvil
• (cloud) anvil, thunderhead

Related terms

• incudal

Anagrams

• U.S. Inc, usnic