clavicle

[ klav-i-kuhl ]

nounAnatomy, Zoology.

a bone of the pectoral arch.
(in humans) either of two slender bones, each articulating with the sternum and a scapula and forming the anterior part of a shoulder; collarbone.

Origin of clavicle

1605–15; <Medieval Latin clāvicula collarbone, Latin: tendril, door-bolt, little key, equivalent to clāvi(s) key + -cula-cule¹

Other words from clavicle

cla·vic·u·lar [kluh-vik-yuh-ler], /kləˈvɪk yə lər/, adjective
cla·vic·u·late [kluh-vik-yuh-leyt], /kləˈvɪk yəˌleɪt/, adjective
sub·cla·vic·u·lar, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use clavicle in a sentence

The medicine pumped through my body through a port inserted underneath my skin below my left clavicle.
The Anatomy Of A Breast Cancer Survivor: ‘Early Detection Saved My Life’ | Charli Penn | October 6, 2020 | Essence.com
The air cell termed clavicular sends a process outward towards the arm, along with the blood vessels which supply the arm.
Dragons of the Air | H. G. Seeley
Hence the clavicular arch may be lost, though the collar bones are retained in man.
Dragons of the Air | H. G. Seeley
It—it's quite a mild form of er—clavicular—not at all infectious at present.
Lyre and Lancet | F. Anstey
The pectoral girdle consists almost entirely of dermal clavicular bones.
The Vertebrate Skeleton | Sidney H. Reynolds

There was likewise present a slight depression in right supra-clavicular region, lung over this area slightly impaired.
Studies in Forensic Psychiatry | Bernard Glueck

British Dictionary definitions for clavicle

clavicle

/ (ˈklævɪkəl) /

noun

either of the two bones connecting the shoulder blades with the upper part of the breastbone: Nontechnical name: collarbone
the corresponding structure in other vertebrates

Origin of clavicle

C17: from Medieval Latin clāvicula, from Latin clāvis key

Derived forms of clavicle

clavicular (kləˈvɪkjʊlə), adjective
claviculate (kləˈvɪkjʊˌleɪt), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for clavicle

clavicle

[ klăv′ĭ-kəl ]

Either of two slender bones that extend from the upper part of the sternum (breastbone) to the shoulder. Also called collarbone

Browse