sternum - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
English
Noun
sternum (plural sterna or sternums)
- (anatomy) The breastbone, consisting of the manubrium, gladiolus, and xiphoid process. [from 1660]
- ✤ The neckline fell into a V, showing the bone of his sternum.1
- (arachnology) The sclerotized ventral plate of spiders, between the coxae, marking the floor of the cephalothorax.
Etymology
Borrowed from New Latin sternum, related to Old English steorn (“forehead”), German Stirn (“forehead”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈstɜː.nəm/
- Audio (Southern England): 🔊
- (General American) IPA: /ˈstɝ.nəm/
- Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)nəm
Printed 2026-10-21.
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Footnotes
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2020, Akwaeke Emezi, The Death of Vivek Oji, Faber & Faber, page 231: ↩