wishbone

noun

wish·​bone ˈwish-ˌbōn 

1

: a forked bone in front of the breastbone in a bird consisting chiefly of the two clavicles fused at their median or lower end

2

: a variation of the T formation in which the halfbacks line up farther from the line of scrimmage than the fullback does

Illustration of wishbone

• W wishbone 1

Examples of wishbone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The front uprights and wishbones are 3D-printed in titanium. —Jason Barlow, WIRED, 6 Oct. 2024

Why, then, does Keller dedicate so much care to delicately removing the wishbone? —Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 28 June 2024

Moving further up will land you at the Nilu's double wishbone, pushrod suspension. —New Atlas, 10 Aug. 2024

In The Bear, Keller expertly scrapes, tugs, and extracts the chicken's wishbone in about a half a minute. —Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 28 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

from the superstition that when two persons pull it apart the one getting the longer fragment will have a wish granted

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

wishbone

noun

wish·​bone ˈwish-ˌbōn 

: a bone in front of a bird's breastbone that is shaped like a V and consists chiefly of two fused clavicles