Trapezius
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A large vertebrate skeletal muscle divided into an ascending, descending, and transverse portion, attaching the neck and central spine to the outer extremity of the scapula; it functions in scapular elevation, adduction, and depression.
"The trapezius muscle resembles a trapezium (trapezoid in American English), or diamond-shaped quadrilateral. The word "spinotrapezius" refers to the human trapezius, although it is not commonly used in modern texts. In other mammals, it refers to a portion of the analogous muscle."
- 2 either of two flat triangular muscles of the shoulder and upper back that are involved in moving the shoulders and arms wordnet
Example
More examples"The trapezius muscle resembles a trapezium (trapezoid in American English), or diamond-shaped quadrilateral. The word "spinotrapezius" refers to the human trapezius, although it is not commonly used in modern texts. In other mammals, it refers to a portion of the analogous muscle."
Etymology
Unknown but likely derived from Ancient Greek τράπεζα (trápeza).
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.