masseter

American  

[ma-see-ter] / mæˈsi tər /

noun

Anatomy.

1. a short, thick, masticatory muscle, the action of which assists in closing the jaws by raising the mandible or lower jaw.

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masseter British  

/ ˌmæsɪˈtɛrɪk, mæˈsiːtə /

noun

1. anatomy a muscle of the cheek used in moving the jaw, esp in chewing

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Other Word Forms

• masseteric adjective

Etymology

Origin of masseter

1660–70; < New Latin < Greek massētḗr, variant of masētḗr chewer, masseter, equivalent to masē-, variant stem of masâsthai to chew + -tēr agentive suffix

Example Sentences

About 40 units are needed for the masseter muscles to help soothe teeth clenching.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

There was also evidence of an evolutionary connection between the extramandibular fat and the masseter muscle, which in humans connects the lower jawbone to the cheekbones and is a key muscle involved in chewing.

From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2024

The rise of processed foods — beginning with the invention of canning in the early 1800s — softened diets to the point that the masseter muscles barely had to do any work when chewing.

From New York Times • Aug. 20, 2020

The jaw is somewhat exceptional—the masseter muscles that close the jaw have a mechanical advantage greater than 1 for the back teeth, allowing us to exert very large forces with them.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

It is sometimes bilateral, the bone giving way at the canine fossa on one side and just in front of the masseter on the other; or both fractures may be at the canine fossæ.

From Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities—Head—Neck. Sixth Edition. by Miles, Alexander