Sternum
Pronunciation : Ster"num, n.; pl. L. Sterna
Part of Speech : E.
Etymology : [NL., from Gr.
Definition : 1. (Anat.)
Defn: A plate of cartilage, or a series of bony or cartilaginous plates or segments, in the median line of the pectoral skeleton of most vertebrates above fishes; the breastbone.
Note: The sternum is connected with the ribs or the pectorial girdle, or with both. In man it is a flat bone, broad anteriorly, narrowed behind, and connected with the clavicles and the cartilages of the seven anterior pairs of ribs. In most birds it has a high median keel for the attachment of the muscles of the wings.
2. (Zo?l.)
Defn: The ventral part of any one of the somites of an arthropod.
Sternums.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913