collarbone

IPA/ˈkɒləbəʊn/
KK[kˈɑlɚbˌon]IPA/ˈkɑːlərbəʊn/

collarbone — noun

  • collarbonesingular
  • collarbonesplural

1. one of the two long, thin bones that curve across the top of your chest, connect

1.nounA2
Definition

one of the two long, thin bones that curve across the top of your chest, connecting your shoulders to the front of your ribcage

Example

Bao broke his collarbone when his mountain bike skidded on loose gravel.

break + collarbone: common injury collocation

Abigail's doctor examined the X-ray of her collarbone and said it would heal in six weeks.

collarbone X-ray: medical examination context

Common collocations
  • break/fracture your collarbone
  • a broken/fractured collarbone
  • collarbone injury / surgery / pain
  • under / below the collarbone
  • above the collarbone
Synonyms
  • clavicle

    the formal medical name — used in anatomy textbooks, hospital reports, and by healthcare professionals

Grammar Patterns

the ~

one's ~

a/the ~ + verb

Usage Note

The medical term for the collarbone is 'clavicle'. In everyday conversation, most English speakers say 'collarbone'. The noun is often used in the plural ('collarbones') because everyone has two, but the singular is natural when one specific bone is injured or examined.

Common Mistakes

She broke her shoulder bone.
She broke her collarbone.
'shoulder bone' is not a standard term; the correct everyday word is 'collarbone'.
The doctor said I fractured my collar.
The doctor said I fractured my collarbone.
'collar' alone refers to clothing, not the bone.

Word family

  • clavicle
    nounC1
  • clavicular
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Collarbone' is the everyday English word for the long, thin bone running from your shoulder to the top of your chest. Its medical name is 'clavicle' — you will see 'clavicle' in hospital reports, anatomy textbooks, and formal clinical descriptions, but in conversation, doctors and patients alike usually say 'collarbone'. Nearby bones that learners sometimes confuse with the collarbone include the 'shoulder blade' (the flat, triangular bone at the back of your shoulder) and the 'breastbone' (the flat vertical bone at the centre of your chest that the collarbone attaches to). Unlike the collarbone, the shoulder blade cannot be felt from the front of the body, and the breastbone sits directly in the middle rather than on each side.

collarbone ↗clavicleshoulder bladebreastbone

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

'Collarbone' is a compound of 'collar' (referring to the neck area) and 'bone'. The name comes from the bone's position at the neckline of a shirt or collar. The medical term 'clavicle' comes from Latin 'clavicula' ('little key'), named by ancient anatomists because its S-shape resembles an old-fashioned key.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined above