knucklebone

noun

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knuck·le·bone | \ ˈnək-əl-ˌbōn

Definition of knucklebone

1 : a bone (such as a metatarsus or metacarpus of a sheep) used in games and formerly in divination

2 knucklebones plural in form but singular in construction : a game played with knucklebones or jacks

Examples of knucklebone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web To win, players raced their opponent to the opposite end of the board, moving pieces according to knucklebone dice rolls. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Feb. 2020 As a onetime priest, McLaughlin would have undoubtedly understood the desire to possess a relic from a venerated figure, like a saint’s knucklebone or a sliver of the true cross. — John Kelly, Washington Post, 4 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'knucklebone.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.