noun
AnatomyA flat, thin muscle in the wall of the cheek.
‘The gland may extend to the mandibular ramus to cover the buccinator muscle.’- ‘Other episodes have been attributed to anatomic abnormalities, including a patulous Stensen's duct masseter muscle hypertrophy and buccinator muscle weakness.’
- ‘The moment the child is a mouth breather, and the tongue drops to the floor of the mouth, the buccinators continue to push inwards and cause the upper arch to collapse.’
- ‘The slightest excess tension in the buccinators, too or too much much forward thrust or exaggerated recession of the jaw can prevent a performer from playing well.’
- ‘Certain muscles involved in mastication, such as the masseter, the digastric (anterior and posterior belly), the buccinators, the hypoglossal and the mylohyoid, play a part in the balancing of the muscles of the head, neck, shoulder and thorax.’
Origin
Late 17th century from Latin, from buccinare ‘blow a trumpet’, from buccina, denoting a kind of trumpet.
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