ringbone

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UK/ˈrɪŋˌbəʊn/US/ˈrɪŋˌboʊn/US/ˈriŋˌboʊn/

noun

A type of osteoarthritis affecting any of several bones (particularly the coffin joint or pastern) of a horse's leg or foot, marked by bone growth.

OriginMiddle English ryngbon →
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Meanings

noun

alternative ring-bone

  1. A type of osteoarthritis affecting any of several bones (particularly the coffin joint or pastern) of a horse's leg or foot, marked by bone growth.

    “As an inventor,” Bob Mason suggested, “you're a howling success at shooting craps ! If I were as free of spavins, ringbone, saddle-galls, and splints as you are, I'd have that nanny-goat in here, hog-tie her, flop her and let the boy help himself. […]”

    1920, Peter B. Kyne, chapter XII, in The Understanding Heart

Origin

  1. Middle Englishryngbon
  2. Englishringbone

Inherited from Middle English ryngbon; equivalent to ring + bone.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

ringbone. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ringbone

MLA

“ringbone.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ringbone. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ringbone,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ringbone.

Source: ringbone on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.