Meanings
nounrotator cuff (plural rotator cuffs)
plural rotator cuffs
- A set of four smaller muscles in the shoulder responsible for rotating the humerus (upper arm bone).
In my quest for world records, I ruined both my rotator cuffs. The cuff, a group of four relatively small (but important) shoulder muscles which control inward and outward rotation of the humerus, is particularly vulnerable to the kind of trauma gymnastics, weighlifting and powerlifting inflict.
1988, Frederick C. Hatfield, “Powersource: Ties that bind”, in Ironman, 47 (6): 21
Translations
Arabic كُفَّة مُدَوَّرَة
- كُفَّة مُدَوَّرَةset of four smaller muscles in the shoulder
Chinese Mandarin 肩袖, 旋轉袖 /旋转袖
- 肩袖 (jiānxiù)set of four smaller muscles in the shoulder
- 旋轉袖 /旋转袖 (xuánzhuǎnxiù)set of four smaller muscles in the shoulder
- 旋轉肌袖 /旋转肌袖 (xuánzhuǎnjīxiù)set of four smaller muscles in the shoulder
- 旋轉肌 /旋转肌 (xuánzhuǎnjī)set of four smaller muscles in the shoulder
Dutch rotatorenmanchet
- rotatorenmanchetset of four smaller muscles in the shoulder
Finnish kiertäjäkalvosin
- kiertäjäkalvosinset of four smaller muscles in the shoulder
French coiffe des rotateurs
- coiffe des rotateursset of four smaller muscles in the shoulder
German Rotatorenmanschette
- Rotatorenmanschetteset of four smaller muscles in the shoulder
Hungarian rotátorköpeny
- rotátorköpenyset of four smaller muscles in the shoulder
Russian ротацио́нная манже́та, враща́тельная манже́та
- ротацио́нная манже́та (rotaciónnaja manžéta)set of four smaller muscles in the shoulder
- враща́тельная манже́та (vraščátelʹnaja manžéta)set of four smaller muscles in the shoulder
- враща́тельная манже́та плеча́ (vraščátelʹnaja manžéta plečá)set of four smaller muscles in the shoulder
Spanish manguito rotador
- manguito rotadorset of four smaller muscles in the shoulder
Turkish rotator manşet
- rotator manşetset of four smaller muscles in the shoulder
Cite this entry
APA
rotator cuff. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rotator%20cuff
MLA
“rotator cuff.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rotator%20cuff. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rotator cuff,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rotator%20cuff.
Source: rotator cuff on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.