pterygoid adjective & noun. ['tɛrɪgɔɪd] E18.
[mod. Latin pterygoides noun pl., formed as PTERYGO-; see -OID.]
Anatomy.
A. adjective. Winglike, wing-shaped; spec. designating, pertaining to, attached to, or forming part of a bony plate (pterygoid process) which descends from the junction of the body and greater wing of each sphenoid bone to form part of the back of the mouth (represented in some vertebrates by one or more distinct bones). E18.
pterygoid bone, pterygoid ridge, etc. pterygoid muscle any of several muscles attached to the pterygoid processes and acting to move the jaw backwards, forwards, or sideways. pterygoid process: see above.
b. noun.
1. A pterygoid bone or process. M19.

2. A pterygoid muscle. M19.

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