wishbone

[ wish-bohn ]

noun

1. a forked bone, formed by the fusion of the two clavicles, in front of the breastbone in most birds; furcula.
2. Football. an offensive formation in which the fullback is positioned directly behind the quarterback and the two halfbacks are positioned farther behind and to the left and right, respectively.

wishbone

/ ˈwɪʃˌbəʊn /

noun

1. the V-shaped bone above the breastbone in most birds consisting of the fused clavicles; furcula

wishbone

/ wĭsh′bōn′ /

1. The forked bone in front of the breastbone in most birds, consisting of the two collarbones partly fused together. It serves as a spring, capturing some of the energy during the downward stroke of the wings for release on the upward stroke.

Word History and Origins

Origin of wishbone¹

1850–55, Americanism; wish + bone; so called from the custom of pulling the furcula of a cooked fowl apart until it breaks, the person holding the longer (sometimes shorter) piece being granted a wish

Word History and Origins

Origin of wishbone¹

C17: from the custom of two people breaking apart the bone after eating: the person with the longer part makes a wish

Example Sentences

As visitors enter and lie down, these mobiles spin slowly, catching light and casting morphing shadows of cursive E’s and wishbones.

From New York Times

The Cretaceous strata of the formation has yielded only one tiny bird bone -- a wishbone -- and a few feathers.

From Science Daily

One of these six tracks will replace time-consuming wishbone movements by creating direct switches between the yards and the King Street Station mainline.

From Seattle Times

Sophie reaches into her jacket pocket and produces the wishbone from a medium-size chicken.

From Literature

That is the origin of the main course, the one that leads to debates over white vs. dark meat, deep-fried vs. roasted turkey, and who will acquire the wistful wishbone.

From Salon