shoulder girdle

noun

Definition of shoulder girdle

: the bony or cartilaginous arch that supports the forelimbs of a vertebrate and in humans is made up of the scapula and clavicle

— called also pectoral girdle

Examples of shoulder girdle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This explains how the shoulder girdle, which lies outside the ribcage in other reptiles, ends up inside the ribcage and shell in turtles. — Hans-dieter Sues, Smithsonian, "How the Turtle Got Its Shell, With Apologies to Aesop," 20 Aug. 2019 To get our best wellness tips delivered to you inbox, sign up for the Healthy Living newsletter Any exercises that improve mobility in your hips and stability in your shoulder girdle are also useful, adds Smith. — Barbara Brody, Health.com, "The Surprisingly Easy Move That Can Make You Happier and Boost Your Energy Instantly," 7 May 2018 The new research can also shed light on ways the shoulder girdle evolved in sharks and other fish over time. — National Geographic, "These Sharks Feed in a Surprising Way," 18 July 2017 Although sharks use their pectoral fins to swim and position themselves over prey, questions were gradually raised about the functions of the shoulder girdle. — National Geographic, "These Sharks Feed in a Surprising Way," 18 July 2017

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

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Last Updated

26 Aug 2019

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The first known use of shoulder girdle was in 1868

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shoulder girdle

noun

Medical Definition of shoulder girdle

: the bony or cartilaginous arch supporting the forelimbs of a vertebrate that corresponds to the pelvic girdle of the hind limbs but is usually not attached to the spinal column and that consists in lower forms of a single cartilage on each side which in higher forms becomes ossified, divided into the scapula above and the precoracoid and coracoid below, and complicated by the addition or substitution of one or more membrane bones and which in humans is highly modified with the scapula alone of the original elements well developed, the coracoid being represented only by the coracoid process of the scapula, and the precoracoid being replaced by the clavicle that connects the scapula with the sternum and is the only bony connection of the arm bones with the rest of the skeleton

— called also pectoral girdle