musculature
Americannoun
noun
-
the arrangement of muscles in an organ or part
-
the total muscular system of an organism
Etymology
Origin of musculature
1870–75; musculat(ion) muscular system ( see muscle, -ation) + -ure
Explanation
Musculature is a system of muscles in a body. Your biceps and triceps are part of the musculature of your arm. Musculature is just an extra-fancy way for scientists to say "muscles." Zoologists might talk about the musculature of domesticated animals compared with wild animals, for example, and archaeologists may speculate about the musculature of ancient humans. The term includes not only the muscles themselves, but the way they work together in an organism. Musculature shares a root with muscle, the Latin musculus, which means both "a muscle" and "little mouse."
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 sight of Richard Parker, a growling behemoth of musculature and whiskers, is the most fearsome.
From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2025
Presumably there is nothing unique about Delap's musculature that prevents it from being taught to others, so why has it never been repeated?
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2025
However, it has been unclear what this resistance of the eye's musculature is due to.
From Science Daily • Mar. 6, 2024
These differences can influence the musculature around the mouth.
From Salon • Jan. 5, 2024
The fairies were uniformly tall and beautiful, with the lithe musculature of professional ballerinas.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
