noun
clavicle
KLAV-ihk-uhl
Clavicle (noun) means the collarbone: the long, slender bone connecting the shoulder blade to the breastbone. Example: “She fractured her clavicle falling off her bike.”
noun
1
The collarbone: the long, slender bone connecting the shoulder blade to the breastbone.
"She fractured her clavicle falling off her bike."
"The clavicle is one of the most commonly broken bones in contact sports."
"Mr. Trump then used his free hand to lunge towards Bobby Engel, and, when Mr. Ornato had recounted the story to me, he had motioned towards his clavicles."
— Cassidy Hutchinson, 0:47 from the start (2022)
"And you worked a lot too. You were thin from biking around all day; your protruding clavicles collected rainwater."
— Ling Ma, Yeti Lovemaking (2022)
How to use clavicle
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe medical term for the collarbone.
Common pairings
fractured clavicle
broken clavicle
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Word forms
- Plural
- clavicles
Fill the gap
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She fractured her _____ falling off her bike.
Etymology
From Latin clavicula, "little key" — the bone was thought to resemble an ancient key.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for clavicle
See all rhymes for clavicle →Frequently asked questions
What does “clavicle” mean?
The word “clavicle” means the collarbone: the long, slender bone connecting the shoulder blade to the breastbone. In plain terms, the medical term for the collarbone.
How do you pronounce “clavicle”?
“Clavicle” is pronounced KLAV-ihk-uhl (/ˈklæv.ɪk.əl/ in IPA).
How do you use “clavicle” in a sentence?
Here is “clavicle” used in a sentence: “She fractured her clavicle falling off her bike.”
What part of speech is “clavicle”?
“Clavicle” is a noun.
Where does the word “clavicle” come from?
The word “clavicle” comes from Latin. From Latin clavicula, "little key" — the bone was thought to resemble an ancient key.
