zygomatic arch

zygomatic arch
the bony arch at the outer border of the eye socket, formed by the union of the cheekbone and the zygomatic process of the temporal bone. See diag. under skull.
[1815-25]

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      bridge of bone extending from the temporal bone at the side of the head around to the maxilla (upper jawbone) in front and including the zygomatic (cheek) bone as a major portion. The masseter muscle, important in chewing, arises from the lower edge of the arch; another major chewing muscle, the temporalis, passes through the arch. The zygomatic arch is particularly large and robust in herbivorous animals, including baboons and apes. In human evolution the zygomatic arch has tended to become more gracile (slender). For example, Australopithecus robustus, an early hominid, had a large zygomatic arch, taken by some scholars to be evidence for a herbivorous diet, while Australopithecus africanus, a later hominid, had a small, fragile-looking arch and is generally believed to have been a hunter and omnivore. In modern humans the zygomatic arch is more prominent in some populations and is larger and more robust in males.

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  • Zygomatic arch — Zygomatic yg o*mat ic (?; 277), a. [Cf. F. zygomatique.] (Anat.) Of, pertaining to, or in the region of, the zygoma. [1913 Webster] {Zygomatic arch}, the arch of bone beneath the orbit, formed in most mammals by the union of the malar, or jugal …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • zygomatic arch — n. Anat. a bony arch on either side of the face just below the eye in many vertebrates, consisting of a zygomatic bone having a process that fuses with the zygomatic process of the temporal bone …   English World dictionary

  • Zygomatic arch — Infobox Anatomy Name = PAGENAME Latin = arcus zygomaticus GraySubject = 46 GrayPage = 183 Caption = Side view of the skull. Caption2 = Articulation of the mandible. Lateral aspect. Precursor = System = Artery = Vein = Nerve = Lymph = MeshName =… …   Wikipedia

  • Zygomatic arch — The part of the temporal bone of the skull that forms the prominence of the cheek. The zygomatic arch is also known as the zygomatic bone, the zygoma, the malar bone, the cheek bone and the yoke bone. The word zygomatic comes from the Greek zygon …   Medical dictionary

  • zygomatic arch — noun the slender arch formed by the temporal process of the cheekbone that bridges to the zygomatic process of the temporal bone • Syn: ↑zygoma, ↑arcus zygomaticus • Derivationally related forms: ↑zygomatic (for: ↑zygoma) • Hy …   Useful english dictionary

  • zygomatic arch — noun An arch formed by the zygomatic process of temporal bone and the temporal process of the zygomatic bone …   Wiktionary

  • zygomatic arch — zy′gomat′ic arch′ n. anat. the bony arch at the outer border of the eye socket, formed by the union of the cheekbone and the zygomatic process of the temporal bone • Etymology: 1815–25 …   From formal English to slang

  • zygomatic arch — zygoma the horizontal arch of bone on either side of the face, just below the eyes, formed by connected processes of the zygomatic and temporal bones. See: skull …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • zygomatic arch — noun Date: 1825 the arch of bone that extends along the front or side of the skull beneath the orbit …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • zygomatic arch — /zaɪgəˌmætɪk ˈatʃ/ (say zuyguh.matik ahch) noun the narrow arch of bone between the malar bone and the temporal bone of mammals …  

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