musculus sphincter ani
- noun
- /ˈmʌskjələs ˈsfɪŋktər ˈɑːnaɪ/
- Specialized
:
músculo esfínter anal
- The musculus sphincter ani plays a critical role in controlling bowel movements.
Examples
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During the procedure, the surgeon examined the patient's musculus sphincter ani for abnormalities.
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Without the musculus sphincter ani, incontinence may occur.
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Damage to the musculus sphincter ani can result in incontinence.
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The musculus sphincter ani is crucial for bowel control.
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Damage to the musculus sphincter ani can result in incontinence.
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During the procedure, the surgeon examined the patient's musculus sphincter ani for abnormalities.
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The musculus sphincter ani plays a critical role in controlling bowel movements.
Synonyms
1
4.6
A ring of muscle around the anus that controls when you pass stool
A ring of muscle around the anus that controls passing stool
How Tight
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'musculus' is a Latin marker meaning muscle (used in anatomical names), 'sphincter' is a muscle that regulates closure, and 'ani' is the Latin genitive meaning 'of the anus', so the phrase literally denotes the sphincter muscle of the anus. This follows standard Latin anatomical naming (common across languages), making the sense derivable for a learner who knows the constituent parts, albeit in a technical register.
Etymology
Musculus sphincter ani comes from Latin and gives a clear image: musculus means 'muscle', sphincter is a 'squeezing band', and ani means 'of the anus'. So the name simply describes the muscle that squeezes around the anus to 'control bowel movements', which is why it is used for that muscle today.