wishbone

[ wish-bohn ]

/ ˈwɪʃˌboʊn /

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noun

a forked bone, formed by the fusion of the two clavicles, in front of the breastbone in most birds; furcula.

Football. an offensive formation in which the fullback is positioned directly behind the quarterback and the two halfbacks are positioned farther behind and to the left and right, respectively.

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Origin of wishbone

1850–55, Americanism;wish + bone; so called from the custom of pulling the furcula of a cooked fowl apart until it breaks, the person holding the longer (sometimes shorter) piece being granted a wish

Words nearby wishbone

wisenheimer, wisent, wise up, wise up to, wish, wishbone, wishbone boom, wishful, wish fulfillment, wish fulfilment, wishful thinking

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use wishbone in a sentence

I simply kicked the cat in the wishbone and resumed the task of milking a fly-bitten cow with an active tail.
The Red Cow and Her Friends|Peter McArthur
Cutting in this way you sacrifice what is called the merry-thought or wishbone.
A Course of Lectures on the Principles of Domestic Economy and Cookery|Juliet Corson
They could see how proud he looked as the children each took one of the wishbone's legs between their fingers.
Friendly Fairies|Johnny Gruelle
And all the other objects scarcely breathed while they watched the children as they took the wishbone from the shelf.
Friendly Fairies|Johnny Gruelle

They seemed lost in a roseate repose, until Grace finally thought of the wishbone that they intended to break after dinner.
The Children's Book of Thanksgiving Stories|Various

British Dictionary definitions for wishbone

wishbone

/ (ˈwɪʃˌbəʊn) /

noun

the V-shaped bone above the breastbone in most birds consisting of the fused clavicles; furcula

Word Origin for wishbone

C17: from the custom of two people breaking apart the bone after eating: the person with the longer part makes a wish

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

Scientific definitions for wishbone

wishbone

[ wĭsh′bōn′ ]

The forked bone in front of the breastbone in most birds, consisting of the two collarbones partly fused together. It serves as a spring, capturing some of the energy during the downward stroke of the wings for release on the upward stroke.