musculo-

American  

1. a combining form representing muscle in compound words.

   musculoskeletal.

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Usage

What does musculo- mean? Musculo- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “muscle.” It is occasionally used in medical terms, especially in anatomy. Musculo- comes from Latin mūsculus, meaning “muscle.” However, the literal meaning of mūsculus is “little mouse”; the term is a diminutive of mūs “mouse,” which is also the source of murine, which refers to a subfamily of rodents. To learn more, read our entry for murine. What are variants of musculo-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, musculo- becomes muscul-, as in muscular.

Etymology

Origin of musculo-

< Latin mūscul ( us ) muscle + -o-