quadriceps

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UK/ˈkwɒd.ɹɪ.sɛps/US/ˈkwɑːd.ɹəˌsɛps/

noun

A muscle having four heads, especially the large extensor at the front of the thigh.

Similar
quadsquadriceps femorismusculus quadriceps femorisquad
OriginLatin quadriceps →
UncommonScrabble 24
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Meanings

nounquadriceps (plural quadricepses or quadriceps)

plural quadricepses

  1. anatomyA muscle having four heads, especially the large extensor at the front of the thigh.

    Lanctot slipped the tourniquet around the other, just under his groin, and twisted it tight, clamping quadriceps and hamstring hard to bone.

    2021 October 20, C. J. Chivers, “Fear on Cape Cod as Sharks Hunt Again”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 17 Feb 2022

    Synonyms: quads

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA muscle having four heads, especially the large extensor at the front of the thigh.

Similar
quads

More synonyms by meaning

nouna muscle of the thigh that extends the leg

Similar
quadriceps femorismusculus quadriceps femorisquad
Broader
extensor muscleextensor
Also see
quadquadriceps femoris

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinquadriceps
  2. Englishquadriceps

Borrowed from Latin quadriceps, literally “four-headed”, from quadri- + -ceps, from quattuor (“four”) and from caput (“head”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian четириглав мускул
  • четириглав мускул (četiriglav muskul)a muscle having four heads, especially the large extensor at the front of the thigh.
Chinese Mandarin 四頭肌 /四头肌, 股四頭肌 /股四头肌
  • 四頭肌 /四头肌 (sìtóujī)a muscle having four heads, especially the large extensor at the front of the thigh.
  • 股四頭肌 /股四头肌 (gǔsìtóujī)a muscle having four heads, especially the large extensor at the front of the thigh.
Finnish nelipäinen reisilihas
  • nelipäinen reisilihasa muscle having four heads, especially the large extensor at the front of the thigh.
French quadriceps
  • quadricepsa muscle having four heads, especially the large extensor at the front of the thigh.
Italian quadricipite
  • quadricipitea muscle having four heads, especially the large extensor at the front of the thigh.
Māori uawhā
  • uawhāa muscle having four heads, especially the large extensor at the front of the thigh.
Polish mięsień czworogłowy
  • mięsień czworogłowya muscle having four heads, especially the large extensor at the front of the thigh.
Russian квадрицепс, четырёхглавая мышца
  • квадрицепс (kvadriceps)a muscle having four heads, especially the large extensor at the front of the thigh.
  • четырёхглавая мышца (četyrjóxglavaja myšca)a muscle having four heads, especially the large extensor at the front of the thigh.
Spanish cuádriceps
  • cuádricepsa muscle having four heads, especially the large extensor at the front of the thigh.
Cite this entry
APA

quadriceps. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quadriceps

MLA

“quadriceps.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quadriceps. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “quadriceps,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quadriceps.

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