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

"The growth series in our Dino Hall was critical to demonstrating that the hyoid in Tyrannosaurus showed the same kind of growth record as long bones," Morris explained.

From Science Daily • Dec. 9, 2025

"To show that hyoid microstructure would work to test maturity status in Nanotyrannus, we first had to compile strong support for this method across many groups of living reptiles and extinct dinosaurs," said Dr. Griffin.

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

Hyoid apparatus.—Shape and, to a lesser extent, size of the hyoid apparatus differentiate nearly all specimens of B. taylori from all those of B. musculus.

From Speciation and Evolution of the Pygmy Mice, Genus Baiomys by Packard, Robert L.