What does clavicula mean?
The clavicula is the formal Latin anatomical name for the collarbone, the slender S-shaped bone that runs horizontally between the breastbone (sternum) and the shoulder blade (scapula) on each side of the upper chest. Together with the scapula it forms the shoulder girdle, strutting the arm away from the torso so that it can move freely. Because it sits just beneath the skin and bears the brunt of many falls, it is one of the most frequently fractured bones in the human body, especially in cyclists, athletes, and newborns during difficult deliveries. In ordinary conversation people say 'collarbone', while doctors and textbooks more often use the anglicized 'clavicle'; the full Latin 'clavicula' survives mainly in formal anatomical nomenclature. The word itself is a small linguistic curiosity: it derives from the Latin clavis, meaning 'key', making it a cousin of such seemingly unrelated terms as enclave, conclave, and clavichord.
nounThe technical anatomical term for the collarbone, the long bone that runs horizontally between the sternum and the shoulder blade on each side of the body.
- The collarbone, the bone linking the sternum to the scapula at each shoulder.
"The radiologist noted a hairline fracture in the patient's left clavicula."
"A fall onto the shoulder often results in a fracture of the middle third of the clavicula."
"In his anatomy lectures, Professor Hale preferred the classical term clavicula over the everyday 'collarbone'."
The Latin-style plural 'claviculae' is used in formal anatomical writing; an anglicized 'claviculas' may occasionally appear but is less conventional. In most modern English contexts the related word 'clavicles' is preferred.
"Both claviculae were clearly visible in the post-mortem radiographs."
Every 'key'-related word you know — clavichord, enclave, even conclave — descends from the same Latin word as your collarbone.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does clavicula come from?
The word comes directly from Latin clavicula, literally 'little key', a diminutive of clavis ('key'), so called because the rotating motion of the bone at the sternum suggested the turning of a key. It entered scholarly usage through Renaissance and post-Renaissance anatomical Latin, which preserved classical terms in formal descriptions of the skeleton. Its anglicized descendant 'clavicle' carries the same origin into common English, while other derivatives of clavis include 'enclave', 'conclave', and 'clavichord'.
How clavicula is actually used
Register is formal and technical: 'clavicula' appears chiefly in medical, veterinary, and comparative-anatomy writing, where Latin terminology is standard practice. In general speech and most English-language clinical settings, the anglicized 'clavicle' is far more common.
Easily confused with clavicula
'Clavicle' is the common English form of the same bone, while 'clavicula' is the Latin anatomical term retained mainly in formal medical and scientific contexts.
A clavichord is a small keyboard musical instrument, unrelated in meaning despite deriving from the same Latin root clavis ('key').