ossicle

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: os=si=cle

CIDE DICTIONARY

ossicle, n. [L. ossiculum, dim. of os, ossis, a bone.].

•  A little bone; as, the auditory ossicles in the tympanum of the ear.  [1913 Webster]
•  One of numerous small calcareous structures forming the skeleton of certain echinoderms, as the starfishes.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

ossicle, n.
1 Anat. any small bone, esp. of the middle ear.
2 a small piece of bonelike substance.

Etymology

L ossiculum dimin. (as OSSEOUS)