cartilaginous
adjective
car·ti·lag·i·nous
ˌkär-tə-ˈla-jə-nəs 
: composed of, relating to, or resembling cartilage
The external nose has a cartilaginous framework.
Examples of cartilaginous in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sharks have a skin that's smooth in one direction but rough if stroked in the opposite orientation, and their cartilaginous skeleton isn't as solid as the bone most other vertebrates rely on.
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ArsTechnica, 22 July 2025
Perhaps there’s a ridge, bump, or cartilaginous bit with a yet-unknown acoustic purpose, hiding on a porpoise.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 16 July 2025
But what scientists know about the extinct creature has been almost entirely determined from fossil teeth—since paleontologists have yet to discover a complete megalodon, and the animals’ cartilaginous skeletons don’t preserve well.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 May 2025
Sharks have only a cartilaginous skeleton that quickly decays after death, only their hard teeth survive the long and arduous fossilization process.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
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ArsTechnica, 22 July 2025
Perhaps there’s a ridge, bump, or cartilaginous bit with a yet-unknown acoustic purpose, hiding on a porpoise.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 16 July 2025
But what scientists know about the extinct creature has been almost entirely determined from fossil teeth—since paleontologists have yet to discover a complete megalodon, and the animals’ cartilaginous skeletons don’t preserve well.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 May 2025
Sharks have only a cartilaginous skeleton that quickly decays after death, only their hard teeth survive the long and arduous fossilization process.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cartilaginous
Cite this Entry
“Cartilaginous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cartilaginous. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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cartilaginous
adjective
car·ti·lag·i·nous
ˌkärt-ᵊl-ˈaj-ə-nəs
: of, relating to, or resembling cartilage
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