clavicle C2 Topic:The Human Body US /ˈklævɪkəl/ UK /ˈklævɪkəl/ See IPA manual Freq #27842 Meanings 1 noun the collarbone, a curved bone joining the breastbone to the shoulder blade The cyclist fractured her clavicle when she landed on her shoulder. 2 noun conchology: the upper spire of a spiral shell The specimen's short clavicle rises only slightly above the final whorl. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · the collarbone, a curved... collarbone 2 noun · conchology: the upper spire... spire Word family Forms clavicles Derived forms clavicularclaviculateinterclaviclesupraclavicle Related forms scapulasternumshoulder Etymology Borrowed through French clavicule from Latin clavicula ("small key"), the diminutive of clavis ("key"). The bone was so named for its curved, keylike shape. Topics The Human Body External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # clavicle **Type:** Word **Level:** C2 **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈklævɪkəl/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈklævɪkəl/ **Frequency rank:** 27842 ## Meanings 1. the collarbone, a curved bone joining the breastbone to the shoulder blade 2. conchology: the upper spire of a spiral shell ## Examples - The cyclist fractured her clavicle when she landed on her shoulder. - The specimen's short clavicle rises only slightly above the final whorl. ## Synonyms - collarbone ## Derived Forms - clavicular - claviculate - interclavicle - supraclavicle ## Related Forms - scapula - sternum - shoulder ## Etymology Borrowed through French clavicule from Latin clavicula ("small key"), the diminutive of clavis ("key"). The bone was so named for its curved, keylike shape. ## Topics - The Human Body markdown