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Glite Dictionary
💪 Chewing muscle 🦷 A grinder
masticator

masticator

8.7
Muscles in the jaw that move to chew food
  • noun
  • /ˈmæstɪˌkeɪtər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : músculo masticador
  • The masticator plays a crucial role in the digestive process.

Examples

  • Injury to the masticator can make it difficult to chew or speak properly.

  • The surgeon examined the patient's masticator for signs of swelling after the accident.

  • The dentist explained that the masticator plays a key role in breaking down food.

  • Humans have strong masticators that help break down food.

  • The human masticator is essential for breaking down food before digestion.

  • Lions have powerful masticators that help them easily chew through tough meat.

  • During a meal, the masticator in our jaws allows us to enjoy various textures of food.

Synonyms

masticatory
vsmasticator
  • Specialized
9.0

A muscle that moves the jaw when you chew

focuses specifically on jaw muscles responsible for chewing

Surface Forms

masticator singular
masticators plural

Morphology

masticator = masticate (transparent) = masticate + or

Regular agentive formation from 'masticate' meaning 'one or that which chews'; the anatomical sense (jaw muscles) is a specialized application but still predictable from the base.

Etymology

Masticator comes from the Latin verb masticare 'to chew', the same root as the English masticate. It names the jaw muscles that do the chewing, so a masticator is literally a part that 'chews' your food.