Nearby Words

biceps

[bahy-seps] Origin

bi·ceps

[bahy-seps]
noun, plural -ceps·es [-sep-siz] , -ceps. Anatomy.
either of two flexor muscles, one (biceps brachii) located in the front of the upper arm and assisting in bending the arm, and the other (biceps femoris) located on the back of the thigh and assisting in bending the leg.

Origin:
1625–35; < Latin: two-headed, having two parts, equivalent to bi- bi-1 + -ceps (stem -cipit-), combining form of caput head

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Biceps is always a great word to know.
So is tendon. Does it mean:
a cord or band of dense, tough, inelastic, white, fibrous tissue, serving to connect a muscle with a bone or part; sinew
a muscular and cartilaginous structure lined with mucous membrane at the upper part of the trachea in humans, where the vocal cords are located
Dictionary.com Unabridged

bi·cep

[bahy-sep]
noun
a biceps muscle, especially the one at the front of the upper arm.

Origin:
1955–60; back formation from biceps
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
biceps (ˈbaɪsɛps)
 
n , pl -ceps
anatomy any muscle having two heads or origins, esp the muscle that flexes the forearmRelated: bicipital
 
Related: bicipital
 
[C17: from Latin: having two heads, from bi-1caput head]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

biceps
1630s, from L. biceps "having two parts," lit. "two-headed," from bis "double" + -ceps comb. form of caput "head" (see head). Despite the -s it is singular, and there is no such word as bicep.
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bicep
false sing. of biceps (q.v.).
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

biceps bi·ceps (bī'sěps')
n. pl. biceps or bi·ceps·es (-sěp'sĭz)

  1. A muscle with two heads or points of origin.

  2. The large muscle at the front of the upper arm that flexes the forearm.

  3. The large muscle at the back of the thigh that flexes the knee joint.


bi·cip'i·tal (-sĭp'ĭ-tl) adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
biceps   (bī'sěps')  Pronunciation Key 


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Either of two muscles, biceps brachii of the arm or biceps femoris of the leg, each with two points of origin. The biceps of the arm bends the elbow, while the biceps of the leg helps to bend the knee as part of the hamstring.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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