sphincter
A ringlike band of muscle that surrounds a bodily opening (such as the anus or the openings of the stomach), constricting and relaxing as required for normal physiological functioning.
Example
“the sphincter of the bladder”
Synonyms
- anatomical sphincter
A kind of
- muscle
Kinds of sphincter
- physiological sphincter
- anal sphincter
- urethral sphincter
- bladder sphincter
Related words
- sphincteralgia
- sphincterotome
- sphincterotomy
- sphincteral
- sphincter boy
- sphincteric
- sphinctero-
Word history
From Ancient Greek "σφῐγκτήρ" (lace, band; contractile muscle).
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “sphincter” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.