hyoid

American  

[hahy-oid] / ˈhaɪ ɔɪd /

adjective

1. Also hyoidal hyoidean noting or pertaining to a U -shaped bone at the root of the tongue in humans, or a corresponding bone or collection of bones in animals.

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noun

1. the hyoid bone.

hyoid British  

/ ˈhaɪɔɪd /

adjective

1. of or relating to the hyoid bone

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noun

1. the horseshoe-shaped bone that lies at the base of the tongue and above the thyroid cartilage

2. a corresponding bone or group of bones in other vertebrates

Other Word Forms

• posthyoid adjective
• subhyoid adjective
• subhyoidean adjective

Etymology

Origin of hyoid

1700–10; < New Latin hȳoïdes < Greek hȳoeidḗs, shaped like the letter hypsilon (i.e. upsilon), equivalent to hȳ- (derivative of letter name hŷ, variant of ŷ; upsilon ) + -oeidēs -oid

Example Sentences

Because no one had previously proven that hyoid bones could reliably preserve growth information, the researchers needed to verify the method before applying it to Nanotyrannus.

From Science Daily • Dec. 9, 2025

The hyoid, however -- the throat bone that supports the tongue -- offered a rare opportunity to assess maturity in a skull-dominated specimen.

From Science Daily • Dec. 9, 2025

Another gill arch eventually evolved into a head bone called the hyoid.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 1, 2023

Known placoderms have at most five gill arches, others having evolved into jaws and the hyoid, so the pectoral girdle derives from what was once the sixth gill arch, Brazeau’s team concludes.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 1, 2023

The hyoid bone in quadrupeds is situated between the two rami or branches of the lower jaw.

From Artistic Anatomy of Animals by Cuyer, ?douard