1. Plural of hyoid; small U-shaped bones located in the neck, just above the thyroid cartilage, that support the tongue and larynx.
Usage: anatomy; technical

Examples

• The hyoids are important skeletal structures that help stabilize the tongue during swallowing.
• Damage to the hyoids can affect speech and swallowing function.
• In forensic pathology, fractures of the hyoids may indicate strangulation.
• The hyoids develop from cartilage during fetal development.
• Anatomists study the hyoids to understand how the neck supports vocalization.