frenulum
noun
fren·u·lum ˈfren-yə-ləm 
plural frenula ˈfren-yə-lə
1
: a connecting fold of membrane serving to support or restrain a part (such as the tongue)
2
: a bristle or group of bristles on the front edge of the posterior wings of some lepidoptera that unites the wings by interlocking with a catch on the posterior part of the forewings
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Nonetheless, Zaghi advocates for a surgery that cuts through the frenulum and sometimes into the muscle. 
Christina Szalinski, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2021 Cutting the frenulum could even make sleep worse, Baldassari says. Christina Szalinski, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2021 To correct the problem, doctors snip the frenulum underneath the tongue to release it. Christina Caron, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2020 The surgery can be necessary for infants when the lingual frenulum, the tissue that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth, is too tight, restricting the tongue's movement. Sonja Haller, USA TODAY, 15 July 2019 Honold had sustained extensive injuries—one of which Linda Walther, the nurse who examined her at the hospital, had never seen before: a torn labial frenulum, which connects the inside of the upper lip to the gums. Barbara Bradley Hagerty, The Atlantic, 15 July 2019 His frenulum — the ridge of tissue attaching the gums to the flesh of the lips and chin — was torn. Jane Wester, charlotteobserver, 22 Mar. 2018 See More
Christina Szalinski, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2021 Cutting the frenulum could even make sleep worse, Baldassari says. Christina Szalinski, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2021 To correct the problem, doctors snip the frenulum underneath the tongue to release it. Christina Caron, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2020 The surgery can be necessary for infants when the lingual frenulum, the tissue that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth, is too tight, restricting the tongue's movement. Sonja Haller, USA TODAY, 15 July 2019 Honold had sustained extensive injuries—one of which Linda Walther, the nurse who examined her at the hospital, had never seen before: a torn labial frenulum, which connects the inside of the upper lip to the gums. Barbara Bradley Hagerty, The Atlantic, 15 July 2019 His frenulum — the ridge of tissue attaching the gums to the flesh of the lips and chin — was torn. Jane Wester, charlotteobserver, 22 Mar. 2018 See More Word History
Etymology
New Latin, diminutive of Latin frenum
First Known Use
circa 1706, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Medical Definition
frenulum
noun
fren·u·lum ˈfren-yə-ləm
plural frenula -lə
: a connecting fold of membrane serving to support or restrain a part (as the tongue)