a long ribbon-shaped muscle that aids in flexing the knee
Word origin
C18: New Latin, from sartorius musculus, literally: tailor's muscle, because it is used when one sits in the cross-leggedposition in which tailors traditionally sat while sewing
sartorius in American English
(sɑrˈtoʊriəs; sɑrˈtɔriəs)
noun
a narrow muscle of the thigh, the longest in the human body, that passes obliquely across the front of the thigh and helps rotate the leg to the cross-legged position
Word origin
ModL < LL sartor, a tailor (see sartor): in reference to the traditional cross-legged position of tailors at work