Definition

1. Noun:
   • A specific muscle of the shoulder: The teres minor is a small, narrow skeletal muscle. It is one of the four muscles that make up the rotator cuff, a group crucial for shoulder stability and movement. Its primary functions are to laterally rotate (externally rotate) the arm at the shoulder joint and to assist in adduction (pulling the arm toward the body).

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • A tear in the teres minor can cause significant shoulder pain and weakness.
  • Physical therapists often prescribe exercises to strengthen the teres minor and other rotator cuff muscles.
  • The teres minor works in conjunction with the infraspinatus to externally rotate the humerus.

Advanced Usage

• Anatomical context: The term is primarily used in medical, anatomical, kinesiology, and physical therapy contexts.
  • The surgeon carefully reattached the torn tendon of the teres minor.

Variants and Related Words

• Teres minor muscle: The full anatomical name.
• Rotator cuff: The functional muscle group to which the teres minor belongs, also comprising the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and subscapularis.
• Teres major: A different, larger muscle located near the teres minor that performs different actions (internal rotation and adduction).

Synonyms

• External rotator of the shoulder: Describes its primary function.
• Rotator cuff muscle: Describes its anatomical grouping.

Related Terms (Phrasal verbs are not applicable for anatomical terms)

• Lateral rotation: The primary action of the teres minor.
• Adduction: A secondary, assisting action of the muscle.
• Innervation: The teres minor is innervated by the axillary nerve.

Related Idioms (Idioms are not typically associated with specific anatomical terms)

• No common idioms directly use "teres minor." It is a technical term used literally.

Noun

1. teres muscle that adducts the arm and rotates it laterally