lacertus

la·cer·tus
L1A1C3E1R1T1U1S1
US/ləˈsɝː.təs/

noun

A bundle or fascicle of muscular fibres.

OriginLate Latin lacertus ← Latin lacertus →
Scrabble 10
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Meanings

nounlacertus (plural lacerti)

plural lacerti · alternative lacert

  1. anatomyA bundle or fascicle of muscular fibres.

Origin

  1. Latinlacertus“upper arm”
  2. Late Latinlacertus“muscle”
  3. Englishlacertus

From Late Latin lacertus (“muscle”), from Classical Latin lacertus (“upper arm”), possibly from lacerta (“lizard”). For the semantics, compare muscle from mūsculus (“little mouse”), derived from a supposed resemblance to little mice.

More words from Late Latin, Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

lacertus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lacertus

MLA

“lacertus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lacertus. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lacertus,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lacertus.

Source: lacertus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.