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Glite Dictionary
✋ Palm area (adj.) ✋ Palm muscle group
hypothenar

hypothenar

9.9
The soft part at the base of the little finger on the palm made of muscles
  • noun
  • /ˌhaɪpəˈθiːnɑːr/
  • Specialized
: hipotenar
  • The doctor pressed on the hypothenar to check for tenderness after the fall.

Examples

  • Muscle strain in the hypothenar can make it difficult to grip objects firmly.

  • She felt pain in her hypothenar area after typing.

  • He noticed swelling in his hypothenar after playing tennis for several hours.

  • The hypothenar muscles are essential for gripping.

  • The hypothenar muscles help facilitate movement in the little finger.

  • After an injury, the doctor examined the hypothenar region for signs of damage.

  • Massage therapy often focuses on the hypothenar area to relieve tension.

Surface Forms

hypothenar singular
hypothenars plural

Morphology

hypothenar = thenar (semi-transparent) = hypo + thenar

The anatomical meaning is directly built from hypo- 'under' + thenar, but the term is specialized and not transparent to an average learner.

Etymology

Hypothenar comes from the Greek parts hypo- meaning 'under' and thenar meaning 'palm' or 'fleshy part of the hand', so the hypothenar is the soft area under the little finger on the palm.