musculature

noun

mus·​cu·​la·​ture ˈmə-skyə-lə-ˌchu̇r How to pronounce musculature (audio)
-chər,
-ˌtyu̇r,
-ˌtu̇r
: the muscles of all or a part of the animal body

Examples of musculature in a Sentence

an athlete with well-developed musculature
Recent Examples on the Web When the underlying musculature is tightened, the skin appears smoother. Roxanne Adamiyatt, townandcountrymag.com, 7 June 2023 The taut musculature of their torsos—one clothed, the other bare, a large tattoo sprawling across the curve of his back—is accentuated by the light streaming in through the titular window at top left, heightening the dramatic tension that pervades the scene. The New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2022 Bulls’ musculature can leave too many wrinkles. Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2021 Your lower chest is different because of the musculature of the chest as a whole. Brett Williams, Men's Health, 28 Feb. 2023 In fact, your core musculature helps to hold your internal organs in place and helps you to stand up straight (along with your back muscles). Amy Eisinger, M.a., SELF, 30 Dec. 2020 Fourth, the virus would likely only preserve essential functions, allowing irrelevant parts of the body, such as skin, secondary musculature, and some organs to decay. Kyle Munkittrick, Discover Magazine, 29 Oct. 2010 The darts are coated in mucus containing proteins that act on the musculature of the recipient snail’s reproductive tract, ultimately leading more of the sperm to stay put instead of being moved to the digestive system. Kate Golembiewski, CNN, 14 Feb. 2023 Commotio cordis is most common in the young athlete whose musculature is not as developed as that in an adult. Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 3 Jan. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'musculature.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from Latin musculus

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of musculature was in 1875

Dictionary Entries Near musculature

Cite this Entry

“Musculature.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/musculature. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

musculature

noun
mus·​cu·​la·​ture ˈməs-kyə-lə-ˌchu̇(ə)r How to pronounce musculature (audio)
: the muscles of the body or of one of its parts

Medical Definition

musculature

noun
: the muscles of all or a part of the animal body

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