Meanings
plural trapezii · plural trapeziuses
- anatomyA large vertebrate skeletal muscle divided into an ascending, descending, and transverse portion, attaching the neck and central spine to the outer extremity of the scapula; it functions in scapular elevation, adduction, and depression.
The trapezius muscle resembles a trapezium (trapezoid in American English), or diamond-shaped quadrilateral. The word "spinotrapezius" refers to the human trapezius, although it is not commonly used in modern texts. In other mammals, it refers to a portion of the analogous muscle.
Synonyms: trapezius muscle
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA large vertebrate skeletal muscle divided into an ascending, descending, and transverse portion, attaching the neck and central spine to the outer extremity of the scapula; it functions in scapular elevation, adduction, and depression.
More synonyms by meaning
nouneither of two flat triangular muscles of the shoulder and upper back that are involved in moving the shoulders and arms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Unknown but likely derived from Ancient Greek τράπεζα (trápeza).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic شِبْه اَلْمُنْحَرِفَة
- شِبْه اَلْمُنْحَرِفَة (šibh al-munḥarifa)large vertebrate skeletal muscle
Bulgarian голям трапецовиден мускул
- голям трапецовиден мускул (goljam trapecoviden muskul)large vertebrate skeletal muscle
Chinese Mandarin 斜方肌
- 斜方肌 (xiéfāngjī)large vertebrate skeletal muscle
Finnish epäkäslihas, epäkäs
- epäkäslihaslarge vertebrate skeletal muscle
- epäkäslarge vertebrate skeletal muscle
French muscle trapèze
- muscle trapèzelarge vertebrate skeletal muscle
Italian trapezio
- trapeziolarge vertebrate skeletal muscle
Japanese 僧帽筋
- 僧帽筋 (sōbōkin)large vertebrate skeletal muscle
Māori ua pākau, ua paemanu
- ua pākaularge vertebrate skeletal muscle
- ua paemanularge vertebrate skeletal muscle
Polish mięsień czworoboczny
- mięsień czworobocznylarge vertebrate skeletal muscle
Spanish trapecio, músculo trapecio
- trapeciolarge vertebrate skeletal muscle
- músculo trapeciolarge vertebrate skeletal muscle
Turkish trapez kası
- trapez kasılarge vertebrate skeletal muscle
Cite this entry
trapezius. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trapezius
“trapezius.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trapezius. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “trapezius,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trapezius.
Source: trapezius on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.