Made of, containing, or resembling cartilage, the rubbery connective tissue in bodies.
From Latin cartilago (cartilage, gristle) combined with the adjective suffix -ous. The term has been used since the 1600s to describe things with a gristle-like or flexible quality.
Cartilaginous fish like sharks and rays have skeletons made entirely of cartilage instead of bone, which is why they're so flexible and can squeeze through tight spaces—their entire body structure is basically the opposite of ours!
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