The clavicle is the formal name for your collarbone, the long, thin bone you can feel at the top of your chest, running from your shoulder to your breastbone. If you press your fingers just below your neck on either side, you'll feel these sturdy bones forming a sort of bridge between your shoulders and the center of your chest.

Clavicles do important work: they help hold your shoulders in place and give your arms the stability they need to move in all directions. The clavicle is one of the most commonly broken bones in the body because when people fall, they often land on an outstretched arm or directly on their shoulder, and the force travels straight to this bone. Athletes, especially in contact sports like football or hockey, sometimes break their clavicles during collisions.

Doctors and scientists typically use “clavicle” in medical settings, while most people in everyday conversation just say “collarbone.” If you've ever seen a wishbone from a chicken or turkey, that's actually the fused clavicles of the bird.