sphincter

noun

sphinc·​ter ˈsfiŋ(k)-tər 

: an annular muscle surrounding and able to contract or close a bodily opening

sphincteric

sfiŋ(k)-ˈter-ik 

adjective

Examples of sphincter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In reflux, the lower esophageal sphincter isn't closing properly, so acid backs up from the stomach into the esophagus (food tube). —Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 25 Sep. 2024

Simultaneously, sphincter muscles that surround the bladder’s lower opening, or urethra, must contract, in what scientists call the guarding reflex. —Emily Underwood, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 June 2024

But the doctors confirmed using a method called manometry that patients’ upper esophageal sphincters simply would not relax — not after a meal of a sandwich, glass of milk, and candy bar, nor after doctors used a catheter to squirt several ounces of air beneath the stubborn valve. —Kff Health News, The Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2024

In more severe cases, surgical options such as a sling or an artificial urinary sphincter may be necessary. —Peter Weiss, Verywell Health, 1 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin, from Greek sphinktēr, literally, band, from sphingein to bind tight

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

sphincter

noun

sphinc·​ter ˈsfiŋ(k)-tər 

: a ringlike muscle surrounding a body opening that is able to make the opening smaller or close it

Medical Definition

sphincter

noun

sphinc·​ter ˈsfiŋ(k)-tər 

: an annular muscle surrounding and able to contract or close a bodily opening see anal sphincter, cardiac sphincter, precapillary sphincter, pyloric sphincter

sphincteral

-t(ə-)rəl 

adjective