wishbone

American  

[wish-bohn] / ˈwɪʃˌboʊn /

noun

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

2. 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.

---

wishbone British  

/ ˈwɪʃˌbəʊn /

noun

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

---

wishbone Scientific  

/ wĭsh′bōn′ /

1. 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.

---

Etymology

Origin of wishbone

1850–55, 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

Example Sentences

I would bet an entire wishbone they’re slinging pans of macaroni and cheese that will bring the house down.

From Salon

He swayed and skipped and slid into the splits so fast that unreinforced heels sometimes broke clean off like a wishbone.

From New York Times

To keep the ride smooth, the Nevera has a double wishbone suspension that uses electronically controlled dampers, which also makes for easy ride height adjustments.

From The Verge

This isn’t an advocation for teams to start running the wishbone.

From Los Angeles Times

Mr. Akers was an assistant on coach Darrell Royal’s staff when the Longhorns adopted the wishbone offense — an innovative scheme featuring three running backs — and won an undisputed national championship in 1969.

From Washington Post