rib cage

noun

, Anatomy.

1. the enclosure formed by the ribs and their connecting bones.

rib cage

1. The bony structure in the chest formed by the ribs and sternum (breastbone) that encloses and protects the heart and lungs.

Word History and Origins

Origin of rib cage¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

A couple years back, he woke up in the middle of the night to find himself “mauled—physically mauled” with “terrible pains on my rib cage and on my shoulder.”

From Slate

LaForteza also said Young’s weapons had been seized and wondered why the defendant had yet to be charged in either the road rage case or the September 2022 incident at the DEA where he allegedly pressed a gun to another agent’s rib cage.

From Los Angeles Times

Then a Cactus League comebacker drilled Treinen in the right rib cage March 9.

From Los Angeles Times

And as his absence dragged on, the medical staff turned its attention to his rib cage, realizing that might be causing the delays in his recovery.

From Los Angeles Times

But in Maria Dizzia’s quietly unadorned staging, and with a superb four-person cast that at the moment stars an emotionally translucent Tatiana Maslany, watching this play is like seeing its author open up her rib cage and show us everything.

From New York Times

Related Words

• breast
• heart