pectoralis

American

[pek-tuh-ral-is, -rey-lis, -rah-] / ˌpɛk təˈræl ɪs, -ˈreɪ lɪs, -ˈrɑ- /

noun

Anatomy.

plural

pectorales

either of two muscles on each side of the upper and anterior part of the thorax, the action of the larger pectoralis major assisting in drawing the shoulder forward and rotating the arm inward, and the action of the smaller pectoralis minor assisting in drawing the shoulder downward and forward.

Etymology

Origin of pectoralis

< Latin pectorālis; pectoral

Vocabulary lists containing pectoralis

Human Anatomy and Physiology - High School

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Another movement that uses a “T” strap stretches the pectoralis minor muscle, a relatively small muscle in the chest that gets a heavy workout from stroking into a wave.

From Washington Times • Jan. 31, 2015

Anibal Sanchez went on the disabled list with a major right pectoralis strain and isn't expected to return until next month.

From Reuters • Aug. 16, 2014

The anterior muscles include the subclavius, pectoralis minor, and serratus anterior.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Note that the pectoralis major and deltoid, which move the humerus, are cut here to show the deeper positioning muscles.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The clavicular portion of the pectoralis major must then be divided right across its fibres, which will retract.

From A Manual of the Operations of Surgery For the Use of Senior Students, House Surgeons, and Junior Practitioners by Bell, Joseph

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023