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Glite Dictionary
pectoralis minor

pectoralis minor

1 7.3
A thin chest muscle that pulls the shoulder blade down and helps lift ribs when you breathe deeply
  • noun
  • /ˌpɛktəˈrælɪs ˈmaɪnər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : pectoral menor
  • The pectoralis minor is located beneath the pectoralis major and plays a crucial role in shoulder movement.

Examples

  • The total number of histologically involved axillary nodes is related not only to the site and size of the primary tumor but also to the extent and technique of pathological analysis of the specimen and the level to which the axilla is dissected, levels I, II, and III being, respectively, below, behind, or above the pectoralis minor muscle.

    Academic text (1993)

  • During deep breathing exercises, the pectoralis minor helps to lift the ribs and expand the chest.

  • Muscle imbalances involving the pectoralis minor can lead to shoulder pain or discomfort.

Synonyms

musculus pectoralis minor
vspectoralis minor
  • Specialized
8.2

A thin muscle under the larger chest muscle that pulls the shoulder blade down or lifts the ribs

has identical meaning but uses the English anatomical name
smaller pectoral muscle
vspectoralis minor
  • Specialized
7.2

A thin muscle under the larger chest muscle that moves the shoulder blade down and forward

is the formal anatomical term emphasizing its precise identity and breathing role

Surface Forms

pectoralis minor singular
pectoralis minors plural

Morphology

pectoralis + minor

The compound simply names a chest muscle by combining 'pectoralis' (a chest/pectoral muscle) with 'minor' (lesser/smaller), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes the smaller pectoral muscle. However, the precise anatomical function and technical detail in the full definition are specialized and not predictable from the parts alone, so it is only partly transparent.

Etymology

Pectoralis minor comes from Latin words: pectoralis means 'of the chest' and minor means 'smaller'. So the name pictures the smaller chest muscle under the bigger one, and that is why it refers to the thin muscle that pulls the shoulder blade down and helps raise the ribs.