(anatomy) A slender muscle that arises from the posterior surface of the styloid process of the temporal bone, inserts into the body of the hyoid bone, and acts to elevate and retract the hyoid bone resulting in elongation of the floor of the mouth.

(anatomy) A broad, thin muscle that arises especially from the thyroid cartilage, inserts into the arytenoid cartilage, and functions to relax and shorten the vocal cords by drawing the arytenoid cartilage forward and to narrow the rima glottidis by rotating the arytenoid cartilage inward causing the vocal cords to approach each other.

(anatomy) Any of the six small voluntary muscles that pass between the eyeball and the orbit and control the movement and stabilization of the eyeball in relation to the orbit.

(anatomy) Either of a pair of muscles which originate from the cricoid and insert on to the arytenoid cartilage, and serve to adduct and abduct the vocal folds.

(anatomy) Either of a pair of small muscles (oblique) or an unpaired muscle (transverse) of the larynx.

(anatomy) Either of a pair of muscles having two fleshy ends connected by a tendon that depress the lower jaw and raise the hyoid bone during swallowing.

(anatomy) A narrow muscle situated superior to the medial border of the mylohyoid muscle; it originates from the inferior mental spine on the inner side of the symphysis of the lower jaw, inserts onto the body of the hyoid bone, and acts to raise and draw the hyoid bone forwards and to retract and depress the jaw.

(anatomy) A long slender digastric muscle which arises from the upper border of the shoulder blade and passes obliquely along the side and front of the neck to the lower border of the body of the hyoid bone, and acts to draw the hyoid bone in a caudal direction.

(anatomy) Either of two muscles arising respectively from the lateral and medial surfaces of the lateral pterygoid process which serve to move the mandible forwards and to the side.

(anatomy) A flat triangular muscle located above the anterior belly of the digastric muscle, that runs from the mandible to the hyoid bone and is joined at a median raphe to its fellow of the opposite side, forming a large part of the muscular floor of the oral cavity.