rectus

American

[rek-tuhs] / ˈrɛk təs /

noun

Anatomy.

plural

recti

any of several straight muscles, as of the abdomen, thigh, eye, etc.

rectus British

/ ˈrɛktəs /

noun

anatomy a straight muscle, esp either of two muscles of the anterior abdominal wall ( rectus abdominis )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of rectus

1695–1705; < New Latin rēctus ( musculus ) straight (muscle)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The diagnosis was a low-grade lesion of the rectus femoris muscle and the end of his season.

From BBC • Jul. 10, 2023

My hands, the thin skin below my eyes, the rectus femoris muscles that connect hips to knees.

From Salon • Sep. 4, 2022

As the name suggests, the abducens nerve is responsible for abducting the eye, which it controls through contraction of the lateral rectus muscle.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The MLF allows for conjugate gaze, or the movement of the eyes in the same direction, during horizontal movements that require the lateral and medial rectus muscles.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The two fasciculi then pass towards the knee, being in relation with the rectus and the vastus internus of the triceps.

From Artistic Anatomy of Animals by Cuyer, ?douard

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023