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sternohyoid

sternohyoid

9.9
A neck muscle that links the breastbone to the bone under the chin and lowers it when you swallow
  • noun
  • /ˌstɜrnəˈhaɪɔɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : esternohioideo
  • The doctor explained that the sternohyoid muscle plays a crucial role in swallowing by lowering the hyoid bone.

Examples

  • Injury to the sternohyoid can lead to difficulty in swallowing and neck discomfort.

  • During the anatomy class, we studied how the sternohyoid connects the sternum to the hyoid bone.

  • Sternohyoid.

Surface Forms

sternohyoid singular
sternohyoids plural

Morphology

sternohyoid = sternum + hyoid (opaque) = sterno + hyoid

The term is a technical anatomical compound using specialized combining forms ('sterno-' and 'hyoid') that are unlikely to be known to average learners, so its meaning cannot be derived from common vocabulary.

Etymology

Sternohyoid comes from sterno- 'breastbone' and -hyoid 'U-shaped bone under the jaw', so the sternohyoid is the muscle that connects the 'breastbone' to the 'hyoid' and helps lower the hyoid when you swallow.