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Glite Dictionary
serratus anterior

serratus anterior

6.8
A muscle on the side of the chest that moves the shoulder blade and helps lift the ribs
  • noun
  • /ˈsɛrətəs ænˈtɪrɪər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : serrato anterior
  • The serratus anterior plays a vital role in stabilizing the shoulder blade during movement.

Examples

  • Weakness in the serratus anterior can cause winging of the scapula.

  • The serratus anterior plays a crucial role in shoulder movement.

  • Proper push-up technique engages the serratus anterior to support the shoulders.

  • I felt pain in my serratus anterior after the workout.

  • The serratus anterior is important for efficiently elevating the rib cage during breathing.

  • To properly engage the serratus anterior, make sure to rotate your scapula during exercises.

  • Physical therapists often emphasize the role of the serratus anterior in stabilizing the shoulder blade.

Synonyms

musculus serratus anterior
vsserratus anterior
  • Specialized
8.1

A muscle at the side of the chest that lifts the shoulder blade and helps raise the ribs when breathing

is a more general description focusing on scapula rotation and rib elevation
anterior serratus muscle
vsserratus anterior
  • Specialized
4.8

A muscle that helps turn the shoulder blade and lift the ribs

adds the chest side location and links the actions to breathing support

Surface Forms

serratus anterior singular
serrati anteriores plural

Morphology

serratus + anterior

The compound is directly built from 'serratus' (a saw-toothed muscle) and 'anterior' (toward the front), so its meaning as the front/lateral saw-toothed chest muscle is transparently derivable from the constituents. Although it's a technical anatomical term, the naming is fully compositional and mirrors cross-linguistic anatomical patterns, so a learner who knows both constituent meanings will understand the MWE.

Etymology

Serratus anterior comes from Latin: serratus means 'saw-like' because the muscle has finger-like edges along the ribs, and anterior means 'front' because it sits on the front of the chest. So the name gives a clear picture — a saw-like muscle at the front that helps move and support the shoulder blade.