Standard Lemma guide

musculus

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈmʌ.skjʊl.əs/
  • General-American: /ˈmʌ.skjəl.əs/
  • homophone: musculous
  • rhymes with -ʌskjʊləs

1

noun

Meaning 1

A muscle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

one of the contractile organs of the body

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: muscle

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: contractile organ, contractor

Narrower terms: skeletal muscle, striated muscle, pronator, supinator, levator, antagonistic muscle, ocular muscle, eye muscle, rectus, smooth muscle, involuntary muscle, sphincter, anatomical sphincter, sphincter muscle, tensor

History

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Latin mūsculus (“a little mouse; a muscle”), diminutive of mūs (“a mouse”).