zygomatic arch

American  

noun

Anatomy.

1. the bony arch at the outer border of the eye socket, formed by the union of the cheekbone and the zygomatic process of the temporal bone.

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zygomatic arch British  

noun

1. Also called: zygoma.  the slender arch of bone that forms a bridge between the cheekbone and the temporal bone on each side of the skull of mammals

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Etymology

Origin of zygomatic arch

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

You’re going to want to consume a lot of instant ramen doused with soy sauce so the sodium gives you moonface, hiding any hint of a zygomatic arch.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

The zygomatic arch is the bony arch on the side of skull that spans from the area of the cheek to just above the ear canal.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

On the lateral side of the brain case, above the level of the zygomatic arch, is a shallow space called the temporal fossa.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

One of the major muscles that pulls the mandible upward during biting and chewing arises from the zygomatic arch.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

It would be interesting to know whether the zygomatic arch is perfect and the tibia and fibula united, as in the hedgehogs, or wanting and distinct as in the shrews.

From Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon by Sterndale, Robert Armitage