English Reference
Noun

collarbone

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈkɑɫɝˌboʊn/ UK /kˈɒləbˌəʊn/ col·lar·bone UK spelling collarbones

n.the long, thin bone that runs across the top of your chest, just below your neck. It connects your shoulder to your body.

n.the S-shaped bone that connects the shoulder to the sternum, forming the front part of the ribcage. It is a common site for fractures in sports or falls.


SIMPLE

She wore a low-cut shirt to show off her collarbone.

CONTEXTUAL

The athlete suffered a minor fracture to his collarbone after a collision during the final race.

COMPLEX

In many mammals, the collarbone is vestigial or entirely absent, allowing for greater range of motion in the forelimbs, whereas in humans it provides structural support for the shoulder girdle.

For a deeper voice, men are encouraged to perform exercises known as neck crunches to strengthen their sternocleidomastoids —the long neck muscles running from the ear to the collarbone.

Phys.org· 18 Aug 2026

From Middle English colar bane; equivalent to collar + bone.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Middle English colar bane
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated