scapula

American  

[skap-yuh-luh] / ˈskæp yə lə /

noun

plural

scapulas, scapulae

1. Anatomy. either of two flat, triangular bones, each forming the back part of a shoulder in humans; shoulder blade.

2. Zoology. a dorsal bone of the pectoral girdle.

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scapula British  

/ ˈskæpjʊlə /

noun

1. Nontechnical name: shoulder blade.  either of two large flat triangular bones, one on each side of the back part of the shoulder in man

2. the corresponding bone in most vertebrates

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scapula Scientific  

/ skăp′yə-lə /

plural

scapulae

1. Either of two flat, triangular bones forming part of the shoulder. In humans and other primates, the scapulae lie on the upper part of the back on either side of the spine.

2. Also called shoulder blade

3. See more at skeleton

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Etymology

Origin of scapula

1570–80; < Latin: shoulder

Explanation

Your scapula is your shoulder blade. The scapula connects the collar bone to the upper arm. The scapula is the anatomical term for the flat, triangle-shaped bone that makes up a human's shoulder. Other animals have similar bones, often described as scapular. The word scapula means "shoulder" in Late Latin, from the Latin root scapulae, or "shoulder blades." One guess about the word's origin says the original meaning of scapulae was "spades or shovels," based on their similar shapes.

Example Sentences

Belgian Evenepoel, the 2022 Vuelta a Espana winner, suffered a fracture to his right collarbone and his right scapula and will have an operation on his collarbone.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2024

Two minutes after we arrived, I looked down and sure enough, there was a human femur and scapula.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 30, 2023

Schanuel is nursing a sore scapula, though is hoping to be back soon after getting the last two games off.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 10, 2023

The four-time All-Star didn’t make his first big league start last year until Aug. 2 after being shut down late in spring training because of a stress reaction in his right scapula.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 6, 2023

His shoulders slope back more than those of other quadrupeds, the scapula, or shoulder-blade, being oblique to the humerus, which, in its turn, is oblique to the radius, or upper part of the fore-leg.

From Natural History in Anecdote Illustrating the nature, habits, manners and customs of animals, birds, fishes, reptiles, etc., etc., etc. by Various