Anatomy
sternum Audio
ster·num [ stur-num ]
Subclass of:
Rib Cage
Etymology:
Greek sternon = the male chest
Later, Galen limited its meaning to the breast bone
Definitions related to sternum:
  • A long, narrow, and flat bone commonly known as BREASTBONE occurring in the midsection of the anterior thoracic segment or chest region, which stabilizes the rib cage and serves as the point of origin for several muscles that move the arms, head, and neck.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • Flat bone, each instance of which is some flat bone forming the middle of the anterior part of some rib cage.
    Foundational Model of Anatomy
    University of Washington, 2017
  • The long flat bone that forms the center front of the chest wall. The sternum is attached to the collarbone and the first seven ribs.
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • The long, flat bone connecting with the cartilages of the first seven ribs and the clavicle.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • The long, flat bone or sternebrae connecting with the cartilage of some ribs.
    CDISC Terminology
    Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC), 2021
  • Sternum, in the anatomy of tetrapods (four-limbed vertebrates), elongated bone in the centre of the chest that articulates with and provides support for the clavicles (collarbones) of the shoulder girdle and for the ribs. Its origin in evolution is unclear. A sternum appears in certain salamanders...
    Encyclopedia Britannica
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2025
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