shoulder girdle

noun

: the bony or cartilaginous arch that supports the forelimbs of a vertebrate and in humans is made up of the scapula and clavicle

called also pectoral girdle

Examples of shoulder girdle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To start, keep your shoulder girdle and your core tight to support your weight. Jennifer Heimlich, SELF, 22 Oct. 2024 The movement promotes core stability and shoulder girdle strength, crucial for throwing strong punches. Health Editorial Team, Health, 2 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shoulder girdle was in 1868

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Cite this Entry

“Shoulder girdle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shoulder%20girdle. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

Medical Definition

shoulder girdle

noun
: the bony or cartilaginous arch supporting the forelimbs of a vertebrate that corresponds to the pelvic girdle of the hind limbs but is usually not attached to the spinal column and that consists in lower forms of a single cartilage on each side which in higher forms becomes ossified, divided into the scapula above and the precoracoid and coracoid below, and complicated by the addition or substitution of one or more membrane bones and which in humans is highly modified with the scapula alone of the original elements well developed, the coracoid being represented only by the coracoid process of the scapula, and the precoracoid being replaced by the clavicle that connects the scapula with the sternum and is the only bony connection of the arm bones with the rest of the skeleton

called also pectoral girdle

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