sphincter

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   anatomy: a ring of muscle that contracts to narrow or close a bodily opening or passage

   The pyloric sphincter controls the movement of stomach contents into the small intestine.

Appears in

Borrowed through Late Latin sphincter from Greek sphinkter, 'band or contractile muscle,' from sphingein, 'bind tight or squeeze.' The name describes the muscle's closing action.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary