sartorius

[ sahr-tawr-ee-uh s, -tohr- ]

/ sɑrˈtɔr i əs, -ˈtoʊr- /

noun, plural sar·to·ri·i [sahr-tawr-ee-ahy, -tohr-] /sɑrˈtɔr iˌaɪ, -ˈtoʊr-/. Anatomy.

a long, flat, narrow muscle extending obliquely from the front of the hip to the inner side of the tibia, assisting in bending the hip or knee joint and in rotating the thigh outward: the longest muscle in humans.

Nearby words

Origin of sartorius

1695–1705; < New Latin sartōrius, adj. derivative of Late Latin sartor tailor; see -tory¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sartorius

The famous tailor-bird (Orthotomus sartorius) is the best known of the warblers distinguished on account of architectural skill.
Birds of the Indian Hills|Douglas Dewar
The spot where it goes under the sartorius is the one selected for the application of the ligature.
A Manual of the Operations of Surgery|Joseph Bell
I then went into the cabin and ordered breakfast, to prevent further discussion until the arrival of Captain Sartorius.
The Surrender of Napoleon|Sir Frederick Lewis Maitland.
Baker and Sartorius, and the other English officers, remained on shore to superintend the embarkation.
The Egyptian campaigns, 1882 to 1885|Charles Royle

The sartorius in these animals is divided into two parts, which, in general, are placed in contact.
Artistic Anatomy of Animals|douard Cuyer

British Dictionary definitions for sartorius

sartorius

/ (sɑːˈtɔːrɪəs) /

noun plural -torii (-ˈtɔːrɪˌaɪ)

anatomy a long ribbon-shaped muscle that aids in flexing the knee

Word Origin for sartorius

C18: New Latin, from sartorius musculus, literally: tailor's muscle, because it is used when one sits in the cross-legged position in which tailors traditionally sat while sewing

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