What does femora mean?
Femora is the plural of femur, the technical term for the thigh bone — the longest and strongest bone in the human body, running from the hip to the knee. In anatomy, zoology, and paleontology, femora refers collectively to these bones in humans and other vertebrates. In entomology, the word has a second life: an insect's leg consists of several segments, and the femur — so its plural femora describes the often stout third segment of insect legs, notably enlarged in jumping species such as grasshoppers and fleas. The Latinized plural femora is preferred in scholarly writing, while 'femurs' dominates casual medical conversation. Derived from the Latin word for thigh, the root also gave English 'femoral', as in the femoral artery of the leg. For anyone reading anatomy papers, fossil reports, or entomological descriptions, femora is the form they will most often meet on the page.
Plural of femur: the thigh bones of humans or other vertebrates.
"Both femora were fractured in the accident."
The anglicized plural 'femurs' is equally correct and more common outside technical literature.
In entomology, the third segment of an insect's leg, between the trochanter and the tibia.
"Grasshoppers have greatly enlarged femora adapted for leaping."
As femora is already a plural form, it takes plural verbs; its singular is femur. The Latinized femora predominates in scientific writing, while femurs is standard in general and clinical usage.
"The museum displays the femora of a woolly mammoth."
Your femur is your longest, strongest bone — and English gives it two different plurals: femurs and femora.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of femora
Femora derives from Latin femur (stem femor-), meaning 'thigh'. The Latin root also yields English 'femoral' (as in the femoral artery) and, through a different Indo-European line, is distantly related to words like 'feminine' via the sense of bearing or producing. The Latinized plural has been retained in anatomical and zoological usage since the term entered scientific English.
Related word forms
How femora is actually used
Femora is the Latinized plural of femur, favored in anatomy, paleontology, and entomology; in everyday medical speech, the anglicized plural 'femurs' is more common. The word carries a formal, technical register and is rarely used outside scientific contexts.
Easily confused with femora
Femur is the singular form referring to one thigh bone, while femora is its plural referring to two or more.
Female refers to the sex of an organism that produces ova, whereas femora are thigh bones; they share a distant Latin root but differ entirely in meaning.