stapes
/ˈsteɪpiːz/
noun
- The smallest bone in the human body, located in the middle ear and shaped like a stirrup; it helps transmit sound vibrations to the inner ear.
- Damage to the stapes can cause hearing loss.
- Doctors sometimes replace a damaged stapes with a prosthetic device.
- The stapes is one of three tiny bones that carry sound from the eardrum to the inner ear.