- Frenulum
- From the diminutive of the Latin for a bridle, that is something that has a restraining function. For example, the frenulum of the tongue attaches it to the floor of the mouth and appears to restrain it. An unusually short lingual frenulum (tongue-tie) often worries parents. Although this frenulum has been clipped innumerable times to "free the tongue," in truth it is rarely the cause of poor eating or speech delay.
* * *A small frenum or bridle. SEE ALSO: frenum. SYN: habenula (1) [TA]. [Mod. L. dim. of L. frenum, bridle]- f. of clitoris [TA] the line of union of the inner-laminae portions of the labia minora on the undersurface of the glans clitoridis. SYN: f. clitoridis [TA], f. preputii clitoridis.- f. epiglottidis SYN: median glossoepiglottic fold.- f. of ileal orifice [TA] a fold, more evident in cadavers, running from the junction of the two commissures of the ileocecal valve on either side along the inner wall of the cecocolic junction. SYN: f. ostii ilealis [TA], f. of ileocecal valve, f. of Morgagni, f. valvae ileocecalis, Morgagni frenum, Morgagni retinaculum.- f. of labia minora [TA] the fold connecting the two labia minora posteriorly. SYN: f. labiorum pudendi [TA], fourchette, f. labiorum minorum, f. of pudendal lips, f. pudendi.- f. labii inferioris, f. labii superioris [TA] SYN: f. of lower lip.- f. of lower lip, f. of upper lip [TA] the folds of mucous membrane extending from the gingiva to the midline of the lower and upper lips, respectively. SYN: f. labii inferioris, f. labii superioris [TA].- f. of M'Dowel tendinous fasciculi passing from the tendon of the pectoralis major muscle across the bicipital groove.- f. of prepuce [TA] a fold of mucous membrane passing from the undersurface of the glans penis to the deep surface of the prepuce. SYN: f. preputii [TA], f. of foreskin, vinculum preputii.- f. of superior medullary velum a band passing from the longitudinal groove between the quadrigeminal bodies on to the superior medullary velum. SYN: f. veli medullaris superioris [TA], cerebellar f., f. cerebelli.- f. of tongue [TA] a fold of mucous membrane extending from the floor of the mouth to the midline of the undersurface of the tongue. SYN: f. linguae [TA], lingual f., vinculum linguae.
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fren·u·lum 'fren-yə-ləm n, pl -la -lə a connecting fold of membrane serving to support or restrain a part (as the tongue)* * *
n.* * *
fren·u·lum (frenґu-ləm) pl. frenґula [L., dim. of frenum bridle] a small fold of integument or mucous membrane that checks, curbs, or limits the movements of an organ or part; see also frenum.
Medical dictionary. 2011.
