incus

UK: /ˈɪŋkəs/ US: (ing′kəs)

Inflections of 'incus' (n):

incudes

npl

incus

npl

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

in•cus  (ing′kəs), n., pl. in•cu•des (in kyo̅o̅′dēz) for 1; in•cus for 2.

1. Anatomy the middle one of a chain of three small bones in the middle ear of humans and other mammals. Cf. malleus, stapes. See diag. under ear. 
2. Meteorology Also called anvil, anvil cloud, anvil top, thunderhead. the spreading, anvil-shaped, upper portion of a mature cumulonimbus cloud, smooth or slightly fibrous in appearance.

• Neo-Latin, Latin incūs anvil, equivalent. to incūd- (stem of incūdere to hammer, beat upon) + -s nominative singular ending; see incuse
• 1660–70

in•cu•date  (ing′kyə dāt′, -dit, in′-), in•cu•dal  (ing′kyə dl, in′-), adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

incus / ˈɪŋkəs/ noun ( incudes / ɪnˈkjuːdiːz/)

1. the central of the three small bones in the middle ear of mammals
   Compare malleus, stapes

Etymology: 17th Century: from Latin: anvil, from incūdere to forge