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Glite Dictionary
pigeon breast

pigeon breast

9.9
A condition where the chest bone sticks out too far
  • noun
  • /ˈpɪdʒən brɛst/
  • Specialized
translation icon : pecho de paloma
  • The doctor diagnosed the child with pigeon breast after observing his chest protrusion.

Examples

  • Children with rickets are at higher risk of developing pigeon breast.

  • In some cases, pigeon breast can be corrected with braces or surgery.

  • The child was diagnosed with pigeon breast at a young age.

  • Many patients with pigeon breasts seek corrective surgery.

  • The doctor diagnosed the child with pigeon breast after observing his chest protrusion.

  • In some cases, pigeon breast can be corrected with braces or surgery.

  • Children with rickets are at higher risk of developing pigeon breast.

Synonyms

chicken breast
vspigeon breast
  • Archaic
8 8.2

A bone in the chest that sticks out, often in children with rickets

serves as an alternative medical name for the same chest deformity

Surface Forms

pigeon breast singular
pigeon breasts plural

Morphology

pigeon + breast

The phrase combines 'pigeon' (a bird) with 'breast' (upper chest), so a B1 learner can infer it describes a chest-related condition characterized by resemblance to a pigeon. However, the precise medical sense of an outwardly protruding breastbone (pectus carinatum) is a metaphorical extension that may not be fully predictable without prior exposure or specialist knowledge, making it only partially transparent.

Etymology

Pigeon breast comes from the image of a pigeon with a round, sticking-out breast, because a person's chest bone can push forward in the same way. So it means 'a chest that sticks out'.