Geniohyoid
/ˌdʒiːni.oʊˈhaɪɔɪd/noun
A slender muscle extending from the lower jaw to the hyoid bone that helps elevate the hyoid and lower the mandible.
Did you know?The word combines Greek-rooted anatomy for the chin with “hyoid,” named because the hyoid bone resembles the Greek letter upsilon, υ.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
γένειον (geneion)
“Chin or lower jaw”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὑοειδής (hyoeidēs)
“U-shaped or resembling the Greek letter upsilon, υ”
17th Century
Medical Latin
os hyoideum
“The hyoid bone, named for its resemblance to upsilon”
19th Century
Medical Latin
geniohyoideus
“A muscle associated with the chin and hyoid bone”
19th Century
English
geniohyoid
“The chin-to-hyoid muscle”