xiphisternum

[ zif-uh-stur-nuhm ]

/ ˌzɪf əˈstɜr nəm /

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noun, plural xiph·i·ster·na

[zif-uh-stur-nuh]. /ˌzɪf əˈstɜr nə/. Anatomy.

the lowermost of the three segments of the sternum.Compare gladiolus (def. 2), manubrium (def. 2a).

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Origin of xiphisternum

1855–60; <New Latin xiphi- (combining form of Greek xíphos sword) + sternumsternum

OTHER WORDS FROM xiphisternum

xiph·i·ster·nal, adjective

Words nearby xiphisternum

Xinxiang, -xion, xi particle, Xipe, xiphi-, xiphisternum, xiphoid, xiphosuran, x-irradiate, Xixón, Xizang Autonomous Region

How to use xiphisternum in a sentence

Further back is the long sternum proper, while last comes the xiphisternum, a broad expanded plate of cartilage.
The Vertebrate Skeleton|Sidney H. Reynolds
The last segment or xiphisternum (fig. 76, 4) is long and narrow, and terminates in a flattened expanded plate of cartilage.
The Vertebrate Skeleton|Sidney H. Reynolds
In Manis macrura the xiphisternum is drawn out into a pair of cartilaginous processes about nine inches long.
The Vertebrate Skeleton|Sidney H. Reynolds
Between the last sternebra and the xiphisternum two pairs articulate.
The Vertebrate Skeleton|Sidney H. Reynolds

The xiphisternum generally ends in an expanded plate of cartilage.
The Vertebrate Skeleton|Sidney H. Reynolds

British Dictionary definitions for xiphisternum

xiphisternum

/ (ˌzɪfɪˈstɜːnəm) /

noun plural -na (-nə)

anatomy zoology the cartilaginous process forming the lowermost part of the breastbone (sternum)Also called: xiphoid, xiphoid process

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