That part of the skeleton of the hand or forefoot between the carpus and phalanges. In man it consists of five bones. See Illust. of Artiodactyla.

a collective term for the five bones making up the palm of the hand

part of hand that includes the five bones between the fingers and the wrist

the part of the hand between the carpus and phalanges

abbrev. MC the section of the forefoot between the phalanges and the carpus; in humans, the long bones of the hand (see figure 15)

Greek meta = after, and karpus = wrist; adjective - metacarpal.

The metacarpus is the intermediate part of the hand skeleton that is located between the fingers distally and the carpus which forms the connection to the forearm.