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sternal

American  
[stur-nl] / ˈstɜr nl /

adjective

  1. of or relating to the sternum.


Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of sternal

From the New Latin word sternālis, dating back to 1750–60. See sternum, -al 1

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.

One fossil revealed a segmented cartilaginous sternum, along with sternal ribs, intermediate ribs, and connections linking the ribcage to the shoulder girdle.

From Science Daily • Apr. 23, 2026

But recovering from sternal wound infections can take months, he noted, and “if you have a stroke, that can affect you for a long time.”

From New York Times • Jan. 20, 2024

Why would the guy recoil from an electrode sticker but not a sternal rub?

From New York Times • Jul. 8, 2015

And with all patients on "sternal precautions" after the surgery, they need someone to drive them to appointments, including weekly heart biopsies for a month post-transplant.

From US News • Apr. 1, 2015

The ribs are eighteen or nineteen in number on each side, flattened, and united to the sternum by short, stout, tolerably well ossified sternal ribs.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 6 "Home, Daniel" to "Hortensius, Quintus" by Various

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