Meaning & use
omoplates
Last updated
“omoplates” is a form of “omoplate”.
Meaning
nouncountabletechnicalold-fashioned
One of the two flat triangular bones on the upper back, one on each side of the spine.
Grammar: Usually plural in this older medical use: "the omoplates". The singular "omoplate" exists but is rare.
Patterns
- the omoplates
- a fractured omoplate
In older anatomy books the shoulder blades are labeled as the omoplates.
The illustration marks the omoplates on either side of the upper spine.
He suffered a crack in one of his omoplates after the fall.
Word forms
| singular | omoplate |
|---|
Common combinations
- the left omoplate
- The pain was worst just under the left omoplate.
- the right omoplate
- She felt a dull ache near the right omoplate after carrying the heavy bag.
- fracture of the omoplate
- A fracture of the omoplate usually heals without surgery.
- the region of the omoplates
- Muscles in the region of the omoplates often tighten during long hours at a desk.
- pain between the omoplates
- Patients often describe pain between the omoplates as a burning feeling.
Synonyms and how they differ
- scapula
- The standard modern medical word for the same bone; use it in clinical or academic writing, while "omoplate" sounds dated.
- shoulder blade
- The everyday term that ordinary speakers use in conversation; it fits general writing better than this technical word.
- shoulder bone
- A loose, non-technical way of referring to the same area; it is vaguer and less precise than "omoplate".
Word family
- omoplate noun
- The singular form of the same bone; rare outside older medical texts.
Commonly confused: omoplates or scapula? omoplates or clavicle?
omoplates vs scapula
This is the current standard medical word for the same bone, so it is not a different structure; "omoplate" simply belongs to older terminology.
omoplates vs clavicle
The clavicle is the collarbone, a separate bone in front of the shoulder, so do not use it for the flat bone on the back.
Practice
Which sentence uses the term correctly and naturally for a modern reader?
Choose one answer.
"Omoplates" are the flat bones of the upper back, so option 2 fits. Option 1 is grammatically possible but a modern report would say "scapula"; option 3 confuses the back with the neck; option 4 describes wrist bones, which are carpals.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “omoplates”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.