car·ti·lage (kär?tl-?j)n. A tough, elastic, fibrous connective tissue that is a major constituent of the embryonic and young vertebrate skeleton and in most species is converted largely to bone with maturation. It is found in various parts of the human body, such as the joints, outer ear, and larynx.[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin cartil?g?, cartil?gin-.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.cartilage (?k??t?l?d?; ?k??tl?d?) n (Anatomy) a tough elastic tissue composing most of the embryonic skeleton of vertebrates. In the adults of higher vertebrates it is mostly converted into bone, remaining only on the articulating ends of bones, in the thorax, trachea, nose, and ears. Nontechnical name: gristle [C16: from Latin cartil?g?] cartilaginous adjCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014car?ti?lage (?k?r tl ?d?, ?k?rt l?d?) n. 1. a firm, elastic, whitish type of connective tissue; gristle. 2. a part or structure composed of cartilage. [1350?1400; Middle English (