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Glite Dictionary
intercostal muscle

intercostal muscle

1 6.1
Thin bands between the ribs that tighten to help you breathe in
  • noun
  • /ˌɪntərˈkoʊstəl ˈmʌsəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : músculo intercostal
  • Giancarlo Stanton, who hasn't been playing for a while due to an intercostal muscle strain, will try to return to action tonight against the Braves, reports Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post on Twitter.

Examples

  • The intercostal muscles contract to help expand the ribcage during inhalation.

  • Patients with rib injuries often experience pain in their intercostal muscles when breathing.

  • Strengthening the intercostal muscles can improve overall lung capacity and respiratory function.

Synonyms

intercostal
vsintercostal muscle
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A muscle between the ribs that helps you breathe

focuses more on contraction during inhalation than on general chest movement
musculus intercostalis
vsintercostal muscle
  • Specialized
7.9

Muscles between the ribs that help you breathe

emphasizes action during inhalation rather than all breathing phases

How Important

diaphragm
  • Specialized
16 5.4
intercostal muscle
  • Specialized
1 6.1

Surface Forms

intercostal muscle singular
intercostal muscles plural

Morphology

intercostal + muscle

The phrase is fully compositional: 'intercostal' means 'between the ribs' and 'muscle' denotes body tissue that produces movement, so together they denote a muscle located between the ribs that aids respiration. Anatomical naming conventions like this are regular and predictable, so a learner who knows the constituent words can derive the meaning.

Etymology

Intercostal muscle is a name that says where the muscle is: inter- means 'between' and costal means 'ribs'. These muscles sit between the ribs and help lift the chest to make breathing possible.