stapedius

S1T1A1P3E1D2I1U1S1
US/stəˈpi.di.əs/

noun

A small muscle of the middle ear that arises from the wall of the tympanum and is inserted into the neck of the stapes by a tendon that sometimes contains a slender spine of bone; it is the smallest skeletal muscle in the human body, serving to stabilize the stapes to check and dampen its vibration.

OriginNew Latin stapedius →
Scrabble 12
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Meanings

nounstapedius (plural stapedii)

plural stapedii

  1. anatomyA small muscle of the middle ear that arises from the wall of the tympanum and is inserted into the neck of the stapes by a tendon that sometimes contains a slender spine of bone; it is the smallest skeletal muscle in the human body, serving to stabilize the stapes to check and dampen its vibration.

Origin

  1. New Latinstapedius
  2. Englishstapedius

Borrowed from New Latin stapedius, clipping of mūsculus stapedius (“stapedial muscle”). Doublet of stapedial.

More words from New Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 鐙骨肌 /镫骨肌
  • 鐙骨肌 /镫骨肌 (dènggǔjī)muscle
Finnish jalustinlihas
  • jalustinlihasmuscle
Italian stapedio, muscolo stapedio
  • stapediomuscle
  • muscolo stapediomuscle
Japanese 鐙骨筋
  • 鐙骨筋 (abumikotsukin)muscle
Spanish músculo del estribo
  • músculo del estribomuscle

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with stapedius

tediousnervus intermedius
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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