Dictionary

biceps en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈbaɪ.sɛps/ (UK, US)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ ▲ Proto-Indo-European *trísinflu. Proto-Indo-European *dwís Proto-Italic *dwis Old Latin duis Latin bis substratebor.? Proto-Indo-European *kap-? Proto-Indo-European *kap- Proto-Indo-European *káput Proto-Italic *kaput Proto-Italic *-is Proto-Italic *-kaputis Old Latin -cipesder. Latin -ceps Latin bicepsder. English biceps Derived from Latin biceps (“double-headed, two-peaked”), from bis (“twice”) + -ceps (“headed”).

Meanings

1. Any muscle having two heads.
   • The leg is bent by the action of the flexor muscles situated on the back of the thigh, the chief of these being called the biceps of the leg. 1901, Michael Foster, Lewis E. Shore, Physiology for Beginners, page 73:
2. Specifically, the biceps brachii, the flexor of the elbow.
   • The arm muscles are the show muscles of the physique. When someone asks to "see your muscles," they are most likely referring to your arms, and more specifically, your biceps. 1996, Robert Kennedy, Dwayne Hines II, Animal Arms, page 21:
3. (informal) The upper arm, especially the collective muscles of the upper arm.
   • Biting her lip, she held his biceps for balance and waded farther. 2005, Lisa Plumley, Once Upon a Christmas, page 144:
   • Odin examined the arm-ring, then pushed it onto his arm, up high on his biceps. 2017, Neil Gaiman, Norse Mythology, Bloomsbury Publishing, page 42:
   • Today, Stonewall's flexed biceps measure 18 inches around. 1964 Dec, “Muscles are His Business”, in Ebony, volume 20, number 2, page 147:
4. A point in a metrical pattern that can be filled either with one long syllable (a longum) or two short syllables (two brevia).
   • Also it is advisable to distinguish this ( ˘ ˘ ) — ˘ ˘ — rhythm, where the princeps was probably shorter in duration than the biceps (as in the dactylic hexameter), from true (marching) anapaests, in which they were equal. 1987, Martin Litchfield West, Introduction to Greek Metre:
   • This means that in the metrical sequence[…] recited in ordinary speech rhythm, the princeps occupied a slightly shorter time than the biceps (5:6), and if a long syllable was used to fill the biceps it had to be dragged a little[…] 2000, James I. Porter, Nietzsche and the Philology of the Future, page 347:

Forms

Antonyms

princeps

Hyponyms

biceps femoris · double biceps · biceps cubiti · bicep curl · biceps brachii · front double biceps · rear double biceps · gluteobiceps · back double biceps

Relateds

triceps · bicipital · quadriceps

Synonyms

guns · pythons · pipes

Translations (35)

he קִבֹּרֶת (the upper arm, especially the muscles) · fi hauis (the upper arm, especially the muscles) · pt bíceps (any muscle having two heads) · fr biceps (any muscle having two heads) · io bicepso (any muscle having two heads) · fi kaksipäinen lihas (any muscle having two heads) · ka ბიცეფსი (any muscle having two heads) · cmn 二頭肌 /二头肌 (any muscle having two heads) · cs biceps (any muscle having two heads) · ru би́цепс (any muscle having two heads) · ar ذَات اَلرَّأْسَيْن (any muscle having two heads) · ar ذَات اَلرَّأْسَيْن اَلْعَضُدِيَّة (the upper arm, especially the muscles) · ko 이두근 (any muscle having two heads) · wyi berbert (the upper arm, especially the muscles) · nl biceps (the upper arm, especially the muscles) · es bíceps (any muscle having two heads) · gl bíceps (any muscle having two heads) · la lacertus (the upper arm, especially the muscles) · nl biceps (any muscle having two heads) · de Bizeps (any muscle having two heads) · tr pazı (the upper arm, especially the muscles) · arz باي (the upper arm, especially the muscles) · ro biceps (any muscle having two heads) · hy բիցեպս (any muscle having two heads) · arz ذات الرأسين (any muscle having two heads) · mr द्विशिरस्का (any muscle having two heads) · tl daga-dagaan (any muscle having two heads) · fi olkavarsi (the upper arm, especially the muscles) · hy երկգլուխ մկան (any muscle having two heads) · ja 二頭筋 (any muscle having two heads) · nl elleboogbuiger (the upper arm, especially the muscles) · tr iki başlı (any muscle having two heads) · nl armbuigspier (the upper arm, especially the muscles) · mi uarua (any muscle having two heads) · it bicipite (any muscle having two heads)