cartilaginous

Everyday

1. Made of cartilage, the tough, bendy tissue found in your ears, nose and the ends of bones. tree →
2. (of fish) Having a skeleton made of cartilage instead of bone, like sharks and rays. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons on animals, «cartilaginous fish» (sharks, rays, skates) are one big group of fish; «bony fish» (like salmon and goldfish) are the other. In lessons on the body, cartilage cushions joints. It tells the reader about a bendy, rubbery material.

Examples

• Sharks are cartilaginous fish. tree →
• Your ears are cartilaginous, so they bend. tree →
• Rays and skates have cartilaginous skeletons. tree →
• The tip of your nose is cartilaginous. tree →
• Cartilaginous fish have no swim bladder. tree →
• We compared cartilaginous fish with bony fish in class. tree →

Note

Adjective from «cartilage». Said «kar-ti-LAJ-i-nus». Long, scientific word; in plain talk say «made of cartilage» or «gristly». Sharks do not have bones at all, apart from teeth, which are not bone either.