Trochanter
/troʊˈkæn.tər/noun
Either of the two bony prominences on the femur near the hip joint.
Did you know?Trochanter comes from Greek *trokhantḗr*, a term for a wheel-running part, from *trekhō* meaning “I run,” so the name is tied to motion, not magic—but it’s one of those ancient body words that medicine preserved almost unchanged.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
τροχαντήρ (trokhantḗr)
“A runner or wheel-running part; in anatomy, a bony prominence near the hip”
Late Greek
Greek
τροχαντήρ
“An anatomical term for the greater or lesser prominence of the femur”
Late Latin
Latin
trochanter
“A medical/anatomical borrowing from Greek”
16th Century
English
trochanter
“A term used in anatomy for the bony prominence of the thigh bone”