What is the Latin word for shoulder?

The usual Latin words for “shoulder” are umerus, armus, scapula; also scapulae, ōs, gestō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“shoulder” in Latin

umerusthe humerus bone; shoulder (especially of a human); the shoulders (when speaking of a burden)armusthe shoulder, side; the forequarter; rarely used of humans.scapulaA shoulder blade, scapula scapulaeshoulder blades ōsmouth; (in general) head or face; (in general) facial features, countenance, appearance gestōto bear, carry; to have, hold, wield; to ride, sail, drive, especially for pleasure

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

shoulder s.

humerus (of men): armus (in old Latin and the poets denotes the upper arm with the shoulder, but in classical prose it is used only of animals). Shoulder-blade, scapula (usually plur., scapulae): shoulder-bone, os humeri; plur., scoptula, -orum, nominative plur., (Cels., 8, 1; but ed. Almel. reads scutula). Soulder of mutton, *armus vervecinus: broad over the shoulders, latus ab humeris: to carry on the shoulders, humeris portare or gestare (PROP.); humeris gestare (PROP. and figuratively; e.g., universam rempublicam): to carry burdens on the shoulders, onera humeris portare (general term); bajulare (as a porter): to take anybody on one’s shoulders, aliquem in humeros suos efferre (in order to raise him up so as to show him to others); aliquem humeris sublevare (in order to carry him when weary): to take anything upon one’s shoulders, tollere aliquid in humeros (PROP.); suscipere or recipere aliquid (to take anything upon one’s self; recipere with the accessory notion of being responsible for it): he was turned out neck and shoulders, foras deturbatus est (Plaut.); turpiter ejectus est (Ov.). These burdens are removed from the shoulders of the poor to those of the rich, haec onera in dites a pauperibus inclinata sunt.

shoulder v.

aliquid in humeros tollere. To shoulder a gun, *sclopetum humero acclinare.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for shoulder?: The usual Latin words for “shoulder” are umerus, armus, scapula; also scapulae, ōs, gestō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.