hamate

noun

ha·​mate ˈhā-ˌmāt How to pronounce hamate (audio)
: a bone on the inner side of the second row of the carpus in mammals

Examples of hamate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Corbin Carroll had the hamate injury this spring, but shrugged it off quickly and doesn’t seem to be struggling at all. Eno Sarris, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026 Holliday will likely start the season on the injured list while recovering from a broken hamate bone in his right hand. Adam Thompson, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026 In his second game back after February hamate bone surgery, the switch-hitting shortstop took swings from both sides of the plate with no noticeable pain. Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2026 Two of them belong to Anthony, who was only invited to join Team USA in mid-February when Arizona Diamondbacks star Corbin Carroll suffered a broken hamate and was forced to drop out. Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 16 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hamate

Word History

Etymology

Latin hamatus hooked, from hamus hook

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hamate was in 1924

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hamate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hamate. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

Medical Definition

hamate

1 of 2 adjective
ha·​mate
ˈhā-ˌmāt also ˈham-ət
: shaped like a hook

hamate

2 of 2 noun
variants or hamate bone
: a bone on the little-finger side of the second row of the carpus in mammals

called also unciform, unciform bone

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