Furcula
/ˈfɜːrkjʊlə/noun
A small forked structure, especially the fused collarbones in birds.
Did you know?The bird “wishbone” is called a furcula because it’s a forked bone, and the same Latin root also gave English words tied to forks, branching, and splitting.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
furcula
“little fork; small forked implement”
Late Latin
Latin
furcula
“a forked shape or small fork”
Medieval Latin
Latin
furcula
“the forked bone in birds”
Modern English
English
furcula
“the wishbone or fused collarbones of a bird”