Depresser

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A device or muscle that pushes something downward, such as a tool used to lower a part of the body or a mechanism that presses a key
2. Something that exerts downward pressure on a part, like a mechanical lever or an anatomical structure that draws a body part down
3. An instrument or body part whose function is to press another component lower, for example a tool that holds the tongue down during examination

Etymology: A depresser is, most simply, one who or that which depresses: a device or muscle that pushes something down. The word is built the plain English way, from the verb "depress" (from Latin "deprimere," to press down, from "de-" meaning down or away plus "premere," to press) with the agentive suffix "-er," which turns a verb into a noun for a doer or a tool. Its formation is transparent, and English has made many such nouns, from "presser" to "opener." The term's most common specialist use is in anatomy and medicine. A depressor muscle pulls a body part downward, such as the depressor anguli oris that drops the corner of the mouth, and a tongue depressor is the flat stick a clinician presses on the tongue to examine the throat. The spelling "depresser" is the older or less standard variant of "depressor," which is the form most dictionaries and anatomical texts use today. Because "depressor" is the established technical noun, the "-er" spelling is most often seen in general or informal writing.

Synonyms: depressor

Antonyms: elevator