lateral pterygoid muscle
English
Alternative forms
- lateral pterygoid, external pterygoid muscle
Noun
lateral pterygoid muscle (plural lateral pterygoid muscles)
- (anatomy) A muscle that arises from the greater wing of the sphenoid bone and from the outer surface of the lateral pterygoid plate, is inserted into the condyle of the mandible and the articular disk of the temporomandibular joint, and acts as an antagonist of the masseter, temporalis, and medial pterygoid muscles.
- Coordinate term: medial pterygoid muscle
Translations
muscle
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References
- “pterygoid muscle”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary