Meanings
plural wishbones
- 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.
Synonyms: furcula, merrythought, wishing bone
- nauticalAny sailing vessel rigged with a wishbone.
- automotiveA suspension component similar in shape to a chicken wishbone.
present singular third person wishbones · participle present wishboning · participle past wishboned · past wishboned
- transitiveTo form into a wishbone-like shape; to fork.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA 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.
nounA particular kind of offensive formation. See wishbone formation.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*wenh₁-
- Proto-Indo-European*wnh₁sḱéti
- Proto-Indo-European*(ó)-os
- Proto-Germanic*wunskaz
- Proto-Germanic*wunskijaną
- Proto-West Germanic*wunskijan
- Old Englishwȳsċan
- Middle Englishwischen
- Englishwish
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰeyh₂-
- Proto-Germanic*bainaz
- Proto-Germanic*bainą
- Proto-West Germanic*bain
- Old Englishbān
- Middle Englishbon
- Englishbone
- Englishwishbone
Translations
Bulgarian ядец
- ядец (jadec)bird's bone
Chinese Mandarin 叉骨, 如願骨 /如愿骨
- 叉骨 (chāgǔ)bird's bone
- 如願骨 /如愿骨 (rúyuàngǔ)bird's bone
Danish ønskeben
- ønskebenbird's bone
Dutch vorkbeen
- vorkbeenbird's bone
Esperanto forketo
- forketobird's bone
Finnish haarukkavipu, toivomusluu
- haarukkavipuspar
- toivomusluubird's bone
- hankaluubird's bone
French wishbone, fourchette
- wishbonespar
- fourchettebird's bone
- lunettebird's bone
German Gabelbein
- Gabelbeinbird's bone
Greek γιάντες
- γιάντες (giántes)bird's bone
Hungarian villacsont
- villacsontbird's bone
Icelandic óskabein, gleraugnabein
- óskabeinbird's bone
- gleraugnabeinbird's bone
Italian forcella, forchetta
- forcellabird's bone
- forchettabird's bone
Japanese 叉骨
- 叉骨 (sakotsu)bird's bone
Polish widełki
- widełkibird's bone
Portuguese fúrcula, ossinho da sorte
- fúrculabird's bone
- ossinho da sortebird's bone
Romanian iadeș
- iadeșbird's bone
Russian ду́жка, ви́лочка
- ду́жка (dúžka)bird's bone
- ви́лочка (víločka)bird's bone
Spanish espoleta
- espoletabird's bone
Swedish gaffelben, önskeben
- gaffelbenbird's bone
- önskebenbird's bone
Ukrainian ви́лочка
- ви́лочка (výločka)bird's bone
Welsh asgwrn tynnu
- asgwrn tynnubird's bone
Cite this entry
wishbone. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wishbone
“wishbone.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wishbone. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wishbone,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wishbone.
Source: wishbone on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.