Glenoid
/ˈɡliːnɔɪd/noun
Resembling a shallow socket or cavity, especially the shoulder socket.
Did you know?Glenoid comes from Greek glēnē, a word for a socket or hollow, and the same root also gave English the rare medical term glene and the idea of anything bowl-shaped or concave.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
γλήνη (glēnē)
“A socket, eye of a needle, or other hollow cavity; also used for a shallow bowl-like depression.”
Late Greek
Greek
γληνοειδής (glēnoeidḗs)
“Shaped like a socket; socket-like.”
19th Century
English
glenoid
“Adopted in anatomy for a shallow articular cavity, especially in the shoulder blade.”
Modern English
English
glenoid
“Pertaining to or shaped like a socket, especially the shoulder socket.”