gastrocnemius

noun

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gas·troc·ne·mi·us | \ ˌga-(ˌ)sträk-ˈnē-mē-əs

, -strək- \

plural gastrocnemii\ ˌga-(ˌ)sträk-ˈnē-mē-ˌī

, -strək- \

Definition of gastrocnemius

: the largest and most superficial muscle of the calf of the leg arising by two heads from the condyles of the femur and attaching to a tendon that becomes part of the Achilles tendon

Examples of gastrocnemius in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The researchers suggest the gastrocnemius may be more important for your running stride, which is why its fiber type matters more—but the null result for the soleus should give us pause. — Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 17 Oct. 2020 The calf complex, sometimes referred to the as the triceps surae, is composed of two key muscles: the gastrocnemius, primarily fast twitch muscle fibers, and the soleus, a key muscle for running as it is composed of mostly slow twitch muscle fibers. — Ian Mcmahan, Outside Online, 18 Sep. 2020 The heel drop stretches the Achilles tendon and the gastrocnemius and soleus calf muscles. — Amy Marturana Winderl, SELF, 17 Jan. 2022 Add weight to calf raises: Do both straight-leg calf raises (for the gastrocnemius) and bent-knee calf raises to target the soleus. — Ian Mcmahan, Outside Online, 18 Sep. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gastrocnemius.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

23 Jun 2022

Cite this Entry

“Gastrocnemius.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gastrocnemius. Accessed 8 Aug. 2022.

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More Definitions for gastrocnemius

gastrocnemius

noun

gas·troc·ne·mi·us | \ ˌgas-(ˌ)träk-ˈnē-mē-əs, -trək-

plural gastrocnemii\ -mē-ˌī

Medical Definition of gastrocnemius

: the largest and most superficial muscle of the calf of the leg that arises by two heads from the condyles of the femur and has its tendon of insertion incorporated as part of the Achilles tendon

— called also gastrocnemius muscle