PAPILLARY MUSCLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does papillary muscle mean? 

• PAPILLARY MUSCLE (noun)
  The noun PAPILLARY MUSCLE has 1 sense:

1. any of several muscles associated with the atrioventricular valves

  Familiarity information: PAPILLARY MUSCLE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PAPILLARY MUSCLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any of several muscles associated with the atrioventricular valves

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Context example:

the papillary muscles contract during systole to prevent regurgitation of blood into the atria

Hypernyms ("papillary muscle" is a kind of...):

cardiac muscle; heart muscle (the muscle tissue of the heart; adapted to continued rhythmic contraction)

Holonyms ("papillary muscle" is a part of...):

atrioventricular valve (either of two heart valves through which blood flows from the atria to the ventricles; prevents return of blood to the atrium)

 Context examples 

Laceration or tearing of the walls of the heart, of the interatrial or interventricular septum, of the papillary muscles or chordae tendineae, or of any of the valves of the heart.

(Cardiac Rupture, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Tendons that connect the papillary muscles to the tricuspid valve and mitral valve.

(Chordae Tendineae, NCI Thesaurus)