Masseter
/ˈmæs.ə.tər/noun
A strong jaw muscle used for chewing.
Did you know?Masseter comes from Greek roots tied to chewing, and in ancient medical writing, naming a body part was often an act of precise verbal power—language that made the body legible.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
μασητήρ (masētḗr)
“a chewer; a jaw muscle”
Late Latin
Latin
masseter
“the chewing muscle”
16th Century
English
masseter
“the principal muscle of chewing”
Modern English
English
masseter
“the large muscle on each side of the jaw used in chewing”