(noun. /hi-OID b-own/)
by Margaret Dedloff
What does it mean?
The hyoid bone is a crescent shaped bone in the neck of humans. It helps to anchor the tongue in the mouth and throat. The hyoid bone is the only bone that is not connected to other bones in the human body.
How do I use it in a sentence?
“The hyoid bone is a free-floating bone because it is not connected to any other bones.”
Fun fact
The hyoid bone is very hard to break because of its location. Only 0.002% of all broken bones are hyoid bones.
Figure 1. The hyoid bone is located in the neck of humans. It is above the thyroid cartilage and the trachea. Figure made by author in BioRender.
