breastbone
UK[ˈbrɛstbəʊn]US[ˈbrɛstboʊn]
n
the long flat vertical bone in the center of the chest to which the ribs are attached; the sternum.
Morpheme Breakdown
breast
bone
breast
chest
bone
skeletal part
Etymology
the term 'breastbone' is a transparent english compound, formed from two native old english elements. the first element, 'breast', originally referred to the chest or the front part of the torso, a meaning it has retained. the second element, 'bone', designates the hard, rigid tissue forming the skeleton. the compound thus logically and literally names the 'bone of the breast or chest'. this straightforward descriptive term, emerging in middle english, serves as the common name for the anatomical structure known medically by the greek-derived term 'sternum'.
Analysis
Structure: breast (chest) + bone (skeletal part)
breast (from old english 'brēost', meaning chest or bosom); bone (from old english 'bān', meaning bone, tusk).
Examples
he fractured his breastbone in the car accident.
the surgeon made an incision along the breastbone to perform the operation.
you can feel your breastbone in the center of your chest.