sphincter
/sˈfɪŋktə/SFINGK-tur
/sˈfɪŋktɚ/SFINGK-tur
Meaninga binder
Common meaning: a ring muscle that closes an opening
- sphinctto bind tightLiddell & Scott, Greek-English Lexicon (1883), p. 1513 (approximate) · scan
- eragent ending: one who
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Greek σφίγγω ‘to bind tight’.
Roots
- σφίγγω Greek “to bind tight”
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