Xiphoid

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈzɪfɔɪd/

Definitions

1. A small, sword-shaped cartilaginous process at the lower end of the sternum in the human chest
2. An anatomical structure resembling a sword that is cartilage-based and located at the lowest part of the sternum
3. A cartilage formation shaped like a sword that is found at the base of the breastbone in humans

Etymology: The "xiphoid" in the sternum's name is a Greek word meaning "sword-shaped." It comes from "xiphos," the Greek word for a short sword, combined with "-oeidēs," a suffix meaning "resembling" or "having the form of," which is also found in words like "anthropoid" (man-like). The compound ξιφοειδής (xiphoeidḗs) was used in ancient Greek to describe things shaped like a blade. English borrowed the term as a technical anatomical adjective, so it describes anything shaped like a sword, though in practice it almost always refers to the xiphoid process, the small cartilaginous tip at the bottom of the breastbone. Anatomists needed a precise name for this part of the body, and reaching for a Greek compound was the standard way of naming structures in medical language. The sword image refers to the narrow, pointed shape of that tip.