Trochlear
/ˈtrɒk.li.ər/noun
Relating to a pulley-shaped anatomical structure or, in anatomy, a structure that acts like a pulley.
Did you know?Trochlear comes from Greek τροχός (trochos), meaning “wheel” or “pulley,” the same ancient root behind words for turning and rotation in classical science.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
τροχός (trochos)
“wheel, disk, or pulley”
Late Greek
Greek
τροχλεία (trochleia)
“a pulley”
Medieval Latin
Latin
trochlearis
“of a pulley; pulley-shaped”
17th–18th Century
English
trochlear
“relating to a pulley-like anatomical structure”
Modern English
English
trochlear
“relating to a pulley-shaped structure, especially in anatomy”
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