sternum

(stûr'nəm)
n., pl., -nums, or -na (-nə).
A long flat bone in most vertebrates that is situated along the ventral midline of the thorax and articulates with the ribs. The manubrium of the sternum articulates with the clavicles in humans and certain other vertebrates. Also called breastbone.

[New Latin, from Greek sternon, breast, breastbone.]

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breastbone; breastplate

A flat bone in the anterior midline of the thorax. The sternum consists of three parts: the manubrium at the top, the main sternal body, and the xiphoid process at the bottom.

IN BRIEF: n. - The flat part of the skeleton that articulates with the clavicles and the first seven pairs of ribs.

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The breastbone, a median segmented skeletal structure made up of several elements or sternebrae, often with a considerable portion remaining cartilaginous into adulthood. It articulates with the cartilages of the sternal ribs and clavicles when large. It has three parts, the manubrium, the body and the xiphoid process, and consists of vascular, spongy bone covered with a thin layer of compact bone. In ruminants it has a flat ventral surface, while in horses it bears a keel (carina). It is especially well developed, as a nonsegmented keeled bone, in flying birds.

• inherited short s. — in the North Country Cheviot breed; characterized by a heavy mortality in newborn lambs resulting from rupture of the liver; the latter thought to occur because of the exposed position of the liver as a result of the absence of the sternum.

n

The elongated, flattened bone forming the middle portion of the thorax. It supports the clavicles and articulates directly with the first seven pairs of ribs.

For a list of words related to sternum, see:

• Trunk - sternum: flat bone of upper chest connecting ribs to shoulder girdle; breastbone
• Skeleton - sternum: breastbone

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See words rhyming with "sternum."

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - brystben

Nederlands (Dutch)
borstbeen

Français (French)
n. - sternum

Deutsch (German)
n. - Brustbein

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (ανατ.) στέρνο

Italiano (Italian)
sterno

Português (Portuguese)
n. - esterno (m) (Anat.) (Zool.)

Русский (Russian)
грудина

Español (Spanish)
n. - esternón

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - bröstben

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
胸骨, 胸板, 胸片

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 胸骨, 胸板, 胸片

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 흉골, 흉판, 복판

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 胸骨, 腹板

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) العظمه الوسطى في الصدر, القص‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮עצם-החזה‬

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