pectoral
1
8.7
- noun
- /ˈpɛktərəl/
:
pectoral
- During the ceremony, she wore a stunning pectoral that shimmered under the bright lights of the hall.
- a gold pectoral
Examples
-
USC had its own concerns about rushing the passer this season after losing last year's Pac-12 sack leader, Nick Perry, to the draft and senior Devon Kennard to a torn pectoral before the season even began.
Blog text (30) -
She ran an index finger along the faint pucker of an old scar that arced across his pectoral.
Fiction book (1992) -
The ancient pectoral was adorned with intricate carvings that told stories of the pharaoh's reign.
-
The museum displayed a pectoral that belonged to a high priest, signifying its importance in religious rituals.
Synonyms
A large decorative medal worn on the chest for ceremonies
Compounds
- Specialized
A large chest muscle that pulls the arm toward the body and turns it inward
- Specialized
A medium-sized wading bird with a striped chest that puffs out during courtship
- Specialized
Bones near the shoulder made of the collarbones and shoulder blades that support the arm
- Specialized
A small tube that carries blood from chest muscles to a larger vein near the collarbone
- Specialized
A thin muscle under the larger chest muscle that moves the shoulder blade down and forward
Surface Forms
Morphology
pectoral = pectoral (semi-transparent) = pector + al
This is a zero-derived noun from the adjective 'pectoral', but the specific jewelry sense is a specialized lexical use.
Etymology
The word pectoral comes from the Latin pectus meaning 'chest' and was used for a jewel or ornament worn over the chest, so a pectoral today is a decorative chest piece often with a ceremonial meaning.