Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A point on the elbow where the ulnar nerve runs close to the surface and produces a sharp tingling sensation if knocked against the bone.
- noun A sense of humor.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The place at the elbow where the ulnar nerve passes by the internal condyle of the humerus.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun figuratively One's sense of
humor .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a point on the elbow where the ulnar nerve passes near the surface; a sharp tingling sensation results when the nerve is knocked against the bone
Etymologies
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Examples
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treeseed commented on the word funny bone
Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
noun
Etymology: from the tingling felt when it is struck
Date: 1840
1 : the place at the back of the elbow where the ulnar nerve rests against a prominence of the humerus
2 : a sense of humor
I just gave my funny bone a whack and there was surprisingly little humor in the humerus.
February 11, 2008