collarbone

American

[kol-er-bohn] / ˈkɒl ərˌboʊn /

noun

the clavicle.

collarbone British

/ ˈkɒləˌbəʊn /

noun

the nontechnical name for clavicle

"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

collarbone Scientific

/ kŏl′ər-bōn′ /

See clavicle

Etymology

Origin of collarbone

First recorded in 1605–15; collar + bone

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Though he almost immediately broke a collarbone during a practice, he stuck with the sport in the belief that it would make him a better policeman.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Marquez missed the last four races of the season after injuring his collarbone at the Indonesia grand prix with the title already in the bag.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Starter Shawn Sanders went down in the first game after breaking his collarbone.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 18, 2025

In 1995, indie gods The Stone Roses pulled out of headlining after guitarist John Squire broke his collarbone.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2025

My sweater went all the way up to my collarbone, and all the way down to my hips.

From "Maybe He Just Likes You" by Barbara Dee

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023