rectus

American

[rek-tuhs] / ˈrɛk təs /

noun

Anatomy.

plural

recti

any of several straight muscles, as of the abdomen, thigh, eye, etc.

rectus British

/ ˈrɛktəs /

noun

anatomy a straight muscle, esp either of two muscles of the anterior abdominal wall ( rectus abdominis )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of rectus

1695–1705; < New Latin rēctus ( musculus ) straight (muscle)

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.

The diagnosis was a low-grade lesion of the rectus femoris muscle and the end of his season.

From BBC • Jul. 10, 2023

My hands, the thin skin below my eyes, the rectus femoris muscles that connect hips to knees.

From Salon • Sep. 4, 2022

They are the superior rectus, medial rectus, inferior rectus, and lateral rectus.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The same is true for the inferior rectus, which is compensated by contraction of the inferior oblique.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Fuerat & rectus et justus, per lineam justiciæ semper in actis suis procedens.

From Henry the Sixth A Reprint of John Blacman's Memoir with Translation and Notes by James, M. R. (Montague Rhodes)

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