: a muscle that serves to raise a body part compare depressor
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebAs might be expected from animals so closely related, all the musculature was exactly alike except for the levator muscle, which none of the wolves had. James Gorman, New York Times, 17 June 2019 But the key finding was that the levator anguli oculi medialis muscle, or LAOM, is nearly absent in wolves. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 18 June 2019 The dominant muscle action is from the levator labii superioris. Neil Steinberg, CNN, 13 June 2018 The jaw muscles were also significantly enlarged in the cannibals, especially the jaw-closing levator mandibulae, whose bulging appearance reminded me of a kid with six pieces of Dubble Bubble jammed into each cheek. Bill Schutt, Discover Magazine, 29 Mar. 2017
Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Latin levare to raise — more at lever
First Known Use
1615, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
levator
noun
le·va·tor li-ˈvāt-ər
plural levatores ˌlev-ə-ˈtōr-(ˌ)ēz or levators li-ˈvāt-ərz
: a muscle that serves to raise a body part compare depressorsense a