sternum

English

An anterior view of the human sternum (in red).

Etymology

Borrowed from New Latin sternum, related to Old English steorn (“forehead”), German Stirn (“forehead”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈstɜː.nəm/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈstɝ.nəm/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)nəm

Noun

sternum (plural sterna or sternums)

1. (anatomy) The breastbone, consisting of the manubrium, gladiolus, and xiphoid process. [from 1660]
   • 2020, Akwaeke Emezi, The Death of Vivek Oji, Faber & Faber, page 231:

     The neckline fell into a V, showing the bone of his sternum.

2. (arachnology) The sclerotized ventral plate of spiders, between the coxae, marking the floor of the cephalothorax.

Derived terms

• coxosternum
• entosternum
• episternum
• furcasternum
• hyosternum
• hyposternum
• mesosternum
• metasternum
• omosternum
• presternum
• prosternum
• sternal
• sternebra
• xiphisternum

 

Translations

breastbone — see breastbone

See also

• bone

References

• “sternum”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “sternum”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “sternum”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• Munster, Munters, Münster, munters

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈstɛrnum]

Noun

sternum n

1. sternum, breastbone

   Synonym: hrudní kost

Declension

Declension of sternum (hard neuter foreign)

	singular	plural
nominative	sternum	sterna
genitive	sterna	stern
dative	sternu	sternům
accusative	sternum	sterna
vocative	sternum	sterna
locative	sternu	sternech
instrumental	sternem	sterny

Related terms

• sternální

 

Further reading

• sternum in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
• sternum in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /stɛʁ.nɔm/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

sternum m (plural sternums)

1. sternum, breastbone

Further reading

• “sternum”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Latin

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek στέρνον (stérnon, “breast, chest; breastbone”).

Pronunciation

• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈster.num/, [ˈst̪ɛrnum]

Noun

sternum n (genitive sternī); second declension (New Latin)

1. (anatomy) The breastbone.

Inflection

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	sternum	sterna
Genitive	sternī	sternōrum
Dative	sternō	sternīs
Accusative	sternum	sterna
Ablative	sternō	sternīs
Vocative	sternum	sterna

Descendants

• → Catalan: estèrnum, estern
• → Czech: sternum
• → English: sternum
• → French: sternum
• → Irish: steirneam