From Latin clāvīcula 'little key,' because the collarbone was thought to resemble a Roman door-bolt or key.
The collarbone; the bone connecting the shoulder blade to the sternum.
From Latin clāvīcula 'little key,' diminutive of clāvis 'key.' The bone was named for its resemblance to the bolt or bar used to lock a Roman door, or possibly to the shape of a key when seen from above as it turns in a lock. Key roots: *kleh₂u- (Proto-Indo-European: "hook, peg, crooked stick").