• (n.) One of the segments of the sternum.
Ster'ne·bra noun ; plural Sternebræ . [ New Latin , from sternum + - bra of vertebra .] (Anat.) One of the segments of the sternum. -- 
Type: Term Pronunciation: ster′nē-bră, -brē Definitions: 1. One of the four segments of the primordial sternum of the embryo by the fusion of which the body of the adult sternum is formed.
Greek sternon = chest or breast, and -bra = from vertebra, hence the segments of the sternum that fuse in later life.