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Added 9 October 2026

patella

/pəˈtɛlə/ noun

Latin root: patella Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about patella at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The sesamoid bone of the knee; the kneecap.
A little dish or vase.
An orbicular sessile apothecium, with a marginal rim distinct from the thallus.

noun

Alternative form of putelee (“type of boat”).

Origin

From Latin patella (“a small pan or dish, a plate; the kneepan, patella”), diminutive of patina (“a broad shallow dish, pan”). Doublet of paella.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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