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Glite Dictionary
retractor muscle

retractor muscle

6.7
A muscle that pulls a body part back toward the body
  • noun
  • /rɪˈtræktər ˈmʌsəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : músculo retractor
  • The retractor muscle helps to pull the tongue back.

Examples

  • The retractor muscle in some snails helps pull their body back into the shell for protection.

  • After surgery, the patient's retractor muscle took several weeks to regain normal function.

  • Veterinarians studied the retractor muscle to understand how certain animals control limb movement.

  • Many animals have a strong retractor muscle in their limbs.

  • The retractor muscle helps the turtle draw its head back into its shell for protection.

  • During the dissection, we observed how the retractor muscle operates to pull the organ inward.

  • When startled, the octopus uses its retractor muscle to quickly retract its tentacles.

Surface Forms

retractor muscle singular
retractor muscles plural

Morphology

retractor + muscle

The compound is largely compositional: 'retractor' denotes an agent that retracts and 'muscle' denotes tissue that moves a body part, so the phrase literally means a muscle that pulls something back. However, 'retractor' is also commonly known as a surgical instrument and the term is technical/anatomical, so the exact sense may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without some domain knowledge.

Etymology

The noun retractor muscle comes from a simple image: the word retractor means a part that 'pulls back', and a muscle works like a small rope to 'pull back' an organ or body part. That's why retractor muscle means a muscle that draws something back toward the body.