Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The forked bone anterior to the breastbone of most birds, formed by the fusion of the clavicles.
  • noun Football An offensive formation in which the halfbacks are positioned behind and to the left and right of the fullback.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The furcula, or merrythought of a fowl. Also wishing-bone.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The forked bone in front of the breastbone in birds; -- called also merrythought, and wishing bone. See merrythought, and furculum.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A forked bone between the neck and breast of a bird consisting chiefly of the two clavicles fused at their median or lower end, regarded as a lucky charm in some countries.
  • noun nautical A spar in two parts, between which a sail is hoisted, the wishbone extending its clew.
  • noun nautical Any sailing vessel rigged with a wishbone.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the furcula of a domestic fowl

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From the superstition that when two people pull the bone apart a wish will be fulfilled for the person who retains the longer piece.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

wish +‎ bone

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