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humerus

American  
[hyoo-mer-uhs, yoo-] / ˈhju mər əs, ˈju- /

noun

Anatomy.
humeri plural
  1. the long bone in the arm of humans extending from the shoulder to the elbow.

  2. brachium.

  3. Zoology. a corresponding bone, structure, or region in the forelimbs of other animals or in the wings of birds or insects.


humerus British  
/ ˈhjuːmərəs /

noun

  1. the bone that extends from the shoulder to the elbow

  2. the corresponding bone in other vertebrates

"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

humerus Scientific  
/ hyo̅o̅mər-əs /
humeri plural
  1. The bone of the upper arm or the upper portion of the foreleg.

  2. See more at skeleton


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of humerus

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin ( h ) umerus shoulder; cognate with Greek ômos, Gothic ams, Sanskrit ámsas

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.

See Examples For:

The Briton has also switched to a platform serve, meaning he stands with his feet slightly wider to allow a smoother transfer of weight, in an attempt to alleviate pressure on the bothersome bruised humerus.

From BBC Feb. 25, 2026

A humerus bone fracture near the elbow is a common injury among children who fall.

From Science Daily Jun. 5, 2024

The UCL connects the humerus bone to ulna bone at the elbow.

From Seattle Times Sep. 2, 2023

Thicker bones, like the femur and humerus, tend to better withstand heat.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 31, 2023

The head of the humerus in the human body projects above the tuberosities.

From Artistic Anatomy of Animals by Cuyer, ?douard

However, about ten men from the hospital had symmetrical humeri, yet they had no signs of a poor upbringing, limited growth, or chronic illness.

From Science Daily Dec. 1, 2023

At any moment, I thought, my little humeri might snap from taking the weight of my body.

From Slate Jul. 29, 2023

The felines’ front legs were most affected; for example, the femurs of captive mountain lions were about four-fifths as dense as those of wild cats, whereas their humeri were only three-fourths as dense.

From Science Magazine Mar. 29, 2022

In the fens of East Anglia have been found two humeri, one of them immature, of a true Pelecanus, a bird now no longer inhabiting middle Europe.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 7 "Bible" to "Bisectrix" by Various

The shoulders were on the east, humeri pointed downwards, forearms prone; the legs were bent, the knees up and south of the backbone.

From El Kab by Quibell, James Edward

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