Omoplates

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A pair of flat, triangular bones located in the upper back that connect the humerus to the clavicle
2. These bones facilitate the movement of the shoulders and support various arm movements
3. Serving as attachment points for several muscles, they play a crucial role in maintaining proper posture and upper body function

Etymology: "Omoplates" is simply the plural of "omoplate," the older French-influenced name for the shoulder blade. The word comes to English from French "omoplate," which was itself taken from Ancient Greek "ōmoplátē," built from "ōmos," meaning "shoulder," and "platē," meaning something flat or broad. The English reader can see the same parts at work: "omo-" points to the shoulder, and "plate" describes the broad, flat bone that the Greek name captured so directly. Ancient Greek speakers thus named the bone by its most obvious feature, its flatness, rather than by its role in moving the arm. The English word "scapula," by contrast, comes from Latin and means something closer to "shoulder" as a spade-like shape, so the two names describe the same bone from different angles.

Synonyms: scapulae