zygomaticus

1 9.9

A face muscle that moves the mouth and lips when you smile

noun
/ˌzaɪɡəˈmætɪkəs/

Specialized

: cigomático

Doctors study the zygomaticus to understand how facial movements are controlled.
zygomaticus major

Examples

It's actually called the zygomaticus major.
Tonight it was entirely ocular-zygomaticus.

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet (2013)
Between 24 and 26 mm, the zygomaticus major, the depressor anguli oris, and the buccinator appear. Between 27 and 45 mm, the frontalis and zygomaticus minor appear.

Academic text (2003)
Between 24 and 26 mm, the zygomaticus major, the depressor anguli oris, and the buccinator appear. Between 27 and 45 mm, the frontalis and zygomaticus minor appear.

Academic text (2003)
The zygomaticus muscle helps create a cheerful expression when we smile.
When she laughed, her zygomaticus muscles raised her cheeks and brightened her face.

Compounds

arcus zygomaticus

Specialized

9.8

A curved bony arch on the side of the face where the cheekbone joins the bone near the ear

Surface Forms

zygomaticus singular

zygomatici plural

Morphology

zygomaticus = zygomatic (semi-transparent) = zygomatic + us

The noun is formed by adding the Latin nominalizing '-us' to the technical adjective 'zygomatic'; clear to those familiar with anatomical terms but not to average learners.

Etymology

Zygomaticus comes from the Greek zygoma, meaning 'yoke' or 'cheekbone'. The muscle sits on the cheekbone and pulls the corner of the mouth when you smile, so the name fits its place and job.