Myoelastic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing substances that can show characteristics of both muscle tissue and elasticity in their behavior
2. Relating to materials or structures that exhibit both muscular properties and the ability to stretch or return to their original shape
3. Pertaining to the features of tissues that function with both the qualities of muscle and the flexibility characteristic of elastic substances

Etymology: "Myoelastic" is built from "myo-", a combining form from Greek "mys" meaning "muscle", and "elastic", which comes from Greek "elastikos", meaning "propulsive" or "able to drive forward", from "elaunein", "to drive". The first element tells you the whole story: the word describes stretch-and-recoil in a living muscle rather than in rubber or metal. Myo- is a classical combining form, not a word that circulated in ancient speech. Scientists in the modern era drew on Greek roots to name bodily tissues and processes, and "myo-" became a standard prefix for anatomy and physiology. Attaching it to "elastic" was a straightforward technical coinage, using two existing parts to name a specific property.