Anatomy
sphincter Audio
sphinc·ter [ sfingk-ter ]
Definitions related to sphincter:
  • A circular band of muscle that functions to regulate the size of an orifice in the body.
    NCI Thesaurus
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • A ring of muscle that surrounds an opening and can be contracted to close the opening. For example, the muscles found at the anus and the opening of the bladder are sphincters.
    Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
    Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
  • A ring-shaped muscle that relaxes or tightens to open or close a passage or opening in the body. Examples are the anal sphincter (around the opening of the anus) and the pyloric sphincter (at the lower opening of the stomach).
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.