sphincter
noun/ˈsfɪŋktə(r)/
/ˈsfɪŋktər/
(anatomy)- a ring of muscle that surrounds an opening in the body and can become tight to close it
- the anal sphincter
Word Originlate 16th cent.: via Latin from Greek sphinktēr, from sphingein ‘bind tight’.Want to learn more?
Find out which words work together and produce more natural sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
sphincter