Standard Lemma guide

psoas

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: /ˈsəʊ.əs/
  • General-American: /ˈsoʊ.əs/
  • General-American: /ˈsoʊ.æs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -əʊəs

1

noun

Meaning 1

Either of two muscles, the psoas major and psoas minor, involved in flexion of the trunk.

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

either of two muscles of the abdomen and pelvis that flex the trunk and rotate the thigh

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: skeletal muscle, striated muscle

History

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ψόας (psóas, “of the muscle of the loins”), genitive singular of ψόα (psóa).

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: bederní sval — muscle
  • Finnish: lannelihas — muscle
  • Ancient Greek: ψόα (psóa) — muscle
  • Latin: mūsculus psoās — muscle
  • Spanish: psoas — muscle