Trochlea
/ˈtrɑːk.li.ə/noun
A pulley-shaped structure or anatomical part, especially at the end of a bone.
Did you know?Trochlea comes from Greek *trochleía*, a word for a pulley or wheel-like groove, showing how medical language often repurposed everyday mechanical imagery from antiquity.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
GRK
τροχλεία (trochleía)
“a pulley; a wheel-like groove or device”
Late Greek
GRK
τροχλία (trochlía)
“a pulley, sheave”
Latin
LAT
trochlea
“a pulley; a wheel-shaped groove”
Middle English
EN
troclee / trochlea
“a pulley-like structure, especially in anatomy”
Modern English
EN
trochlea
“a pulley-shaped anatomical structure”
Explore more surprising origins