Meaning & use
xiphoid process
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountabletechnicalmedical
The small pointed piece of bone or cartilage at the lower end of the breastbone.
Grammar: Countable and usually used with "the": the xiphoid process. Its plural is xiphoid processes.
Patterns
- the xiphoid process
- a xiphoid process
In an adult, the xiphoid process is the narrow tip at the bottom of the sternum.
The doctor pressed gently just below the ribs, near the xiphoid process.
In children the xiphoid process is made of cartilage, so it bends easily.
Word forms
| plural | xiphoid processes |
|---|
Common combinations
- the tip of the xiphoid process
- The pain was sharpest at the tip of the xiphoid process.
- fracture of the xiphoid process
- A hard blow to the chest can cause a fracture of the xiphoid process.
- locate the xiphoid process
- Students learn to locate the xiphoid process during first-aid training.
- below the xiphoid process
- Place your hands just below the xiphoid process when giving chest compressions.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sternum
- The sternum is the whole breastbone, while the xiphoid process is only its small lower tip.
- breastbone
- Breastbone is the everyday name for the sternum; it does not name the pointed tip on its own.
Word family
- xiphoid adjective
- Shaped like a sword; used in anatomy, as in the xiphoid cartilage.
- sternum noun
- The breastbone, the flat bone that the xiphoid process belongs to.
Commonly confused: xiphoid process or thyroid?
xiphoid process vs thyroid
Thyroid is a gland in the neck; xiphoid belongs to the chest and sounds somewhat similar.
Practice
Which sentence uses "xiphoid process" correctly?
Choose one answer.
The xiphoid process is the small pointed lower end of the sternum, so option An is right. B describes the thyroid gland, C confuses it with a leg bone, and D places it in the ear, which is wrong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “xiphoid process”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.