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Glite Dictionary
temporal muscle

temporal muscle

6.3
A broad muscle on the side of the head that lifts the lower jaw to close the mouth
  • noun
  • /ˈtɛmpərəl ˈmʌsəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : músculo temporal
  • The temporal muscle helps move your jaw when you chew food.

Examples

  • - Yeah, you got some tightness in your temporal muscle, man.

    Splitsville (2025)

  • We reconstructed the dura with fascia lata and temporal muscle.

    Academic text (2003)

  • She felt strain in her temporal muscle after clenching her teeth all night.

  • The surgeon explained the role of the temporal muscle in jaw movement.

Synonyms

temporalis
vstemporal muscle
  • Specialized
1 9.0

A broad fan-shaped muscle on the side of the head above the ear that helps close the jaw

gives origin and insertion detail from fossa to coronoid process
musculus temporalis
vstemporal muscle
  • Specialized
7.4

A large muscle on the side of the head that lifts the lower jaw to close the mouth

is the common English term rather than the Latin name
temporalis muscle
vstemporal muscle
  • Specialized
7.0

A large fan-shaped muscle on the side of the head that helps raise and close the lower jaw

is the same meaning but uses an alternative two-word form

Surface Forms

temporal muscle singular
temporal muscles plural

Morphology

temporal + muscle

The meaning is directly compositional: 'temporal' (relating to the temple/side of the head) + 'muscle' clearly denotes a muscle located at the temple, so a learner who knows both words can infer it's an anatomical muscle involved in jaw movement/chewing. Although 'temporal' can also mean 'relating to time' in other contexts, the anatomical phrasing makes the intended sense obvious; similar formations appear across languages, supporting immediate comprehension.

Etymology

Temporal muscle combines temporal, a word for the temple or side of the head, and muscle. It is a wide, fan-shaped muscle in that area that pulls the lower jaw up when you chew, so it is the muscle used to 'raise' the lower jaw and 'close' the mouth.