Definition

A small, abnormal growth of bone that can develop on the edges of bones, often associated with joint conditions.

Example

The doctor explained that the osteophyte was causing pain in my knee.

Conversation

I was reading about joint pain, and they mentioned something called an osteophyte.

Oh really? What’s an osteophyte?

It's apparently a bony outgrowth that can happen with arthritis.

That sounds painful; I hope I never have to deal with that.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Osteophyte → It is formed from "osteo-" (from Greek "osteon", meaning bone) and "phyte" (from Greek "phyton", meaning plant). The word refers to a bony outgrowth or a bone spur, resembling a plant growing from the bone.

Memory Tip

Think of 'bone' ('osteo-') and 'plant' ('phyte') to remember that an osteophyte is like a plant growing from a bone.

Visually Confused Words