cartilage

n. gristle, tough flexible tissue (part of the skeletal structure)

Cartilage is a type of dense connective tissue. It is composed of collagen fibers and/or elastin fibers, and can supply smooth surfaces for the movement of articulating bones. Cartilage is found in many places in the body including the joints, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the bronchial tubes and the intervertebral discs. There are three main types of cartilage: elastic, hyaline, and fibrocartilage.
See more at Wikipedia.org...

Cartilage /car·ti·lage/ a specialized, fibrous connective tissue present in adults, and forming the temporary skeleton in the embryo, providing a [more]Cartilage - Community and Resources

Noun
1. tough elastic tissue; mostly converted to bone in adults
(synonym) gristle
(hypernym) animal tissue
(hyponym) meniscus
(substance-holonym) cartilaginous structure
(substance-meronym) collagen
(part-meronym) matrix, intercellular substance, ground substance

n. cartilage