articul

Articul is a bound form used in anatomy, linguistics, and engineering to denote joints or joint-like connections. It comes from Latin articulus, meaning a small joint or joint part, and is the source of English words such as articular, articulation, and articulated. In general usage, articul refers to the notion of a connection that allows motion or transfer of force between parts, rather than a separate object.

In anatomy, an articulation, or joint, is the location where two or more bones meet. Joints are categorized by the type of movement they permit: fibrous (immovable), cartilaginous (slightly movable), and synovial (freely movable). The articular surfaces are typically covered with cartilage and operate within a joint cavity bounded by ligaments and a synovial membrane.

Beyond biology, the term appears in engineering and robotics as an articulation or articulated joint, such as hinge or ball-and-socket types, enabling segmented structures to bend or rotate. In linguistics, articulation refers to the physical production of speech sounds, including the place and manner of articulation used by the vocal tract.

In medical terminology, articular refers to things related to a joint, such as articular cartilage. The root is often combined with other morphemes to form related terms.