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stapedius

noun sta·pe·di·us \ stə-ˈpē-dē-əs \

medical Definition of stapedius

plural -dii play \-dē-ˌī\
: a small muscle of the middle ear that arises from the wall of the tympanum, is inserted into the neck of the stapes by a tendon that sometimes contains a slender spine of bone, and serves to check and dampen vibration of the stapes — called also stapedius muscle

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