🇬🇧🇨🇳 cartilage - 软骨 : English Lesson

Meaning of "cartilage" ("软骨"), detailed definition, and a short video lesson below.

Cartilage is a special kind of body tissue that is both strong and bendy. It is not as hard as bone, but not as soft as skin. Cartilage is found in places like your joints, where your bones meet, to help them move smoothly without rubbing and hurting. It also helps give shape to your ears, nose, and parts of your throat. Because cartilage is flexible, you can wiggle your nose and bend your ear without them snapping like a bone.

Watch and listen to this English flashcard to understand the word in more detail, with an easy example sentence.

My ear cartilage tried to hold up my giant headphones and said, “This is not what I signed up for.”

Grandpa said, “Back in my day, our cartilage walked to school uphill both ways.”

I asked the doctor if I could upgrade my knee cartilage to the deluxe jumping model.

My little brother poked my ear and shouted, “It’s squishy bone!” and I had to explain, “Nope, that’s cartilage, genius.”

Babies are born with a lot of cartilage instead of bone, which is why they’re extra bendy.

On the pavement, the child’s nose hit hard and an ear folded; he screamed. The nose cartilage bent, then popped back, and the ear cartilage resisted the burn. Cartilage in his knee had cushioned the fall. He touched the warm cartilage of his nose, smiled, then rubbed the ear cartilage and walked home, relieved.

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

Expanding your English vocabulary is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation, spelling, and confidence in English. Watch the video above to memorize the word, understand its meaning, and see example sentences in action. Discover related words to grow your vocabulary naturally. Add words to your playlist for stress-free, effective learning—anytime, anywhere! Watch, learn, repeat.