Latin for small dish, diminutive of patina (pan) — the kneecap was named for its flat, plate-like shape
The flat, triangular bone at the front of the knee joint; the kneecap
From Latin 'patella' meaning a small dish or pan, diminutive of 'patina' meaning a broad, shallow dish. The bone was named for its shape — flat, round, and slightly concave on its inner surface, like a small plate. Latin 'patina' itself may derive from Greek 'patane' meaning a plate, from a PIE root meaning to spread open. The cooking vessel called a pan and the word patina