What does furcula mean?
The furcula is a forked anatomical structure, best known as the bone popularly called the wishbone. Found in birds and certain theropod dinosaurs, it forms when the two clavicles fuse into a single V- or Y-shaped element that works like a spring, storing and releasing energy during the flight stroke. The word also has a second life in entomology: in springtails, tiny soil-dwelling creatures, the furcula is a folded, forked appendage on the underside of the abdomen that snaps open to fling the animal away from threats. Derived from Latin, where furcula is a diminutive of furca, meaning 'fork', the term carries a distinctly scientific register, appearing chiefly in ornithology, palaeontology, and entomology. Its everyday presence is felt mostly at the dinner table, where snapping a bird's wishbone for luck keeps an ancient word quietly alive.
nounA forked or fork-shaped anatomical structure; most commonly the fused pair of clavicles (wishbone) found in birds and some dinosaurs, or the spring-like jumping organ on the underside of springtails.
- The fused clavicles of birds and some theropod dinosaurs, forming the V- or Y-shaped 'wishbone' that acts as a spring during flight.
- The forked, spring-like appendage folded beneath the abdomen of springtails (Collembola), used to flick the animal into the air.
"The turkey's furcula, popularly known as the wishbone, is snapped in two for good luck at Thanksgiving."
"Palaeontologists traced the evolution of the avian furcula back through feathered theropod dinosaurs."
"Under the microscope, the springtail's furcula could be seen locked in place, ready to catapult it clear of danger."
Standard Latinate plural; used in technical writing when referring to multiple specimens or species.
"The study compared furculae across dozens of modern and fossil bird species."
The wishbone you snap for luck on Thanksgiving is really two collarbones fused into one — and birds inherited it from their dinosaur ancestors.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of furcula
Furcula comes directly from Latin, where it is a diminutive of furca, 'fork', so the name literally means 'little fork' — an apt description of both the wishbone's shape and the springtail's jumping organ. The same Latin root gives English words such as furcate ('to branch into forks') and bifurcate ('to split in two'). Naturalists applied the Latin term to these structures during the development of comparative anatomy in the early modern period.
Related word forms
How furcula is actually used
A technical term used mainly in ornithology, palaeontology, and entomology rather than everyday speech. In casual contexts, the bird's furcula is almost always called the wishbone (or merrythought in older British usage). The plural is 'furculae'. The word also names a genus of moth caterpillars, though this is a specialist usage.
Easily confused with furcula
A fossa is a depression or hollow in bone, whereas a furcula is a forked skeletal or appendage structure.