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 car’s otherworldly handling begins there and is further enhanced by McLaren’s adaptive damping system on its double-wishbone independent suspension. — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 24 June 2026

The new hardware includes new wishbones, uprights, wheel hubs, and bearings. — Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 17 June 2026

Since wishbone flowers like regular moisture, humidity and shade will keep them from drying out. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 May 2026

Desert wishbone-bush (Mirabilis laevis) is a wonderful drought-tolerant ground cover growing one foot high with a spread of eight feet. — Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 14 May 2026

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

Rhymes for wishbone

• alone
• atone
• backbone
• bemoan
• bluestone
• breastbone
• brownstone
• capstone
• cheekbone
• condone
• curbstone
• cyclone

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