rotator cuff
noun
: a supporting and strengthening structure of the shoulder joint that is made up of the capsule of the shoulder joint blended with tendons and muscles as they pass to the capsule or across it to insert on the head of the humerus
Examples of rotator cuff in a Sentence
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Cedric Coward didn’t play in the Summer League, and his college season was cut short in November due to a rotator cuff injury.
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Stan Son, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Both limit the shoulder blades’ ability to move smoothly, putting your rotator cuff muscles — the small muscles that stabilize and guide your shoulder joint — at a mechanical disadvantage.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Kansas City Royals ace Cole Ragans took another step in his return from a left rotator cuff strain that sidelined him for a significant portion of the season.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2025
That can lead to overuse issues like tennis elbow, rotator cuff tendonitis, and shin splints, to name a few.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 11 Sep. 2025
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Stan Son, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Both limit the shoulder blades’ ability to move smoothly, putting your rotator cuff muscles — the small muscles that stabilize and guide your shoulder joint — at a mechanical disadvantage.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Kansas City Royals ace Cole Ragans took another step in his return from a left rotator cuff strain that sidelined him for a significant portion of the season.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2025
That can lead to overuse issues like tennis elbow, rotator cuff tendonitis, and shin splints, to name a few.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rotator cuff
Cite this Entry
“Rotator cuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rotator%20cuff. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
rotator cuff
noun
: a supporting and strengthening structure of the shoulder joint that is made up of part of its capsule blended with tendons of the subscapularis, infraspinatus, supraspinatus, and teres minor muscles as they pass to the capsule or across it to insert on the humerus
called also musculotendinous cuff
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