Biceps

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbaɪ.sɛps/

Definitions

1. A key muscle found in the upper arm, essential for both bending the elbow and rotating the forearm An important dual-headed muscle in the arm that aids in elbow flexion as well as forearm supination The prominent muscle of the upper arm, which serves to flex the elbow joint and rotate the forearm efficiently
2. A significant muscle situated in the upper arm, vital for both elbow flexion and the rotation of the forearm
3. A prominent muscle in the front of the upper arm responsible for bending the elbow and turning the forearm

Etymology: Anatomists borrowed "biceps" from Latin, where it meant "double-headed" or "two-peaked," and the name describes the muscle's shape: it has two heads of origin at the shoulder that merge into a single belly. The Latin word is built from "bis," meaning "twice" or "two," and "-ceps," from a root meaning "head," the same element found in words like "occipital" and "biceps" relatives such as "triceps," meaning "three-headed." The "-ceps" element comes from the Latin "caput," meaning "head," and the Latin form "-ceps" was formed from it, an ending that appears in compound adjectives describing things with a given number of heads or peaks. Its earlier ancestry runs back to "dwis" and "dwóh₁," the roots for "two" that also lie behind the "bi-" in many English words.

Synonyms: muscle, arm muscle, flexor