Tendon
/ˈtɛn.dən/noun
A tough band of fibrous tissue that connects muscle to bone.
Did you know?Tendon comes through French from Latin *tendere*, meaning “to stretch,” the same ancient root behind words like *tension* and *tendril*—a reminder that language preserves the body’s oldest mechanics.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ten-
“to stretch, extend”
Latin
Latin
tendere
“to stretch, strain, extend”
Late Latin
Latin
tendo
“a sinew, tendon”
Old French
Old French
tendon
“sinew, tendon”
Middle English
English
tendon
“a sinew or tendon”
Modern English
English
tendon
“a fibrous cord connecting muscle to bone”