cartilage

Etymology

Borrowed from French cartilage, from Latin cartilāgō. Partially displaced native gristle, from Old English gristel.

noun

1. (anatomy, uncountable) A usually translucent and somewhat elastic, dense, nonvascular connective tissue found in various forms in the larynx and respiratory tract, in structures such as the external ear, and in the articulating surfaces of joints. It composes most of the skeleton of vertebrate embryos, being replaced by bone during ossification in the higher vertebrates.
2. (anatomy, countable) A particular structure made of cartilage.