zygomatic, adj. & n.

zygomatic
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zygomatic_adj%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
First published 1921; not fully revised

# zygomaticadjective & noun

## Earlier version

- zygomatic, a. (n.) in OED Second Edition (1989)

## Factsheet

### What does the word zygomatic mean?

There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the word zygomatic. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

#### Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

### How common is the word zygomatic?

About 0.5occurrences per million words in modern written English

1750 | 0.057
1760 | 0.05
1770 | 0.044
1780 | 0.053
1790 | 0.094
1800 | 0.13
1810 | 0.21
1820 | 0.32
1830 | 0.36
1840 | 0.42
1850 | 0.47
1860 | 0.48
1870 | 0.47
1880 | 0.51
1890 | 0.54
1900 | 0.53
1910 | 0.55
1920 | 0.58
1930 | 0.61
1940 | 0.59
1950 | 0.62
1960 | 0.62
1970 | 0.6
1980 | 0.54
1990 | 0.5
2000 | 0.48
2010 | 0.45

### How is the word zygomatic pronounced?

#### British English

/zʌɪɡə(ʊ)ˈmatɪk/
zigh-goh-MAT-ik
/zɪɡə(ʊ)ˈmatɪk/
zig-oh-MAT-ik

#### U.S. English

/ˌzaɪɡəˈmædɪk/
zigh-guh-MAD-ik

### Where does the word zygomatic come from?

Earliest known use

early 1700s

The earliest known use of the word zygomatic is in the early 1700s.

OED's earliest evidence for zygomatic is from 1712, in the writing of Patrick Blair, botanist and surgeon.

zygomatic is a borrowing from Latin.

Etymons: Latin zygomaticus.

### Nearby entries

1. zygobranchiate, adj. 1883–
2. zygocactus, n. 1950–
3. zygocardiac, adj. 1877–
4. zygodactyl, adj. & n. 1831–
5. zygodactylic, adj. 1835–
6. zygodactylous, adj. 1828–
7. zygodont, adj. 1888–
8. zygogenesis, n. 1950–
9. zygology, n. 1970–
10. zygoma, n. 1684–
11. zygomatic, adj. & n.1712–
12. zygomatico-, comb. form
13. zygomato-, comb. form
14. zygomere, n. 1966–
15. zygomorphic, adj. 1875–
16. zygomorphism, n. 1875–
17. zygomorphous, adj. 1879–
18. Zygomycetes, n. 1887–
19. zygomycetous, adj. 1928–
20. zygon, n. 1886–
21. zygonema, n. 1911–

## Etymology

### Summary

A borrowing from Latin.
Etymon: Latin zygomaticus.
< modern Latin zygomaticus, < Greek ζύγωμα, ‑ατ‑: see zygoma n. and ‑ic suffix.

## Meaning & use

Anatomy.

1. adjective
   1. 1712–
      Pertaining to or forming part of the zygoma; jugal.
      zygomatic apophysis noun = zygomatic process n. zygomatic arch noun = zygoma n. zygomatic bone noun the malar bone. zygomatic fossa noun an irregularly-shaped cavity on the side of the skull below and within the zygomatic arch. zygomatic muscle noun any one of several small muscles connected with the zygoma; esp. each of two pairs of muscles (zygomaticus major and minor) arising from the malar bone and inserted at the corners of the mouth, serving to draw the upper lip outward and upward. zygomatic process noun a process of the squamosal portion of the temporal bone, which articulates with the malar bone. zygomatic suture noun the suture connecting the squamosal with the malar bone.
      1. 1712

         > Two Zygomatic Bones.

         P. Blair in Philosophical Transactions 1710–12 (Royal Society) vol. 27 143
      2. 1741

         > Immediately before the Root of the zygomatic Process.

         A. Monro, Anatomy of Human Bones (ed. 3) 95
      3. 1811

         > The zygomatic muscles pull the angles of the mouth upwards as in laughter.

         C. Bell, Anatomy of Human Body (ed. 3) vol. I. 180
      4. 1825

         > The zygomatic arch.

         Zoological Journal vol. 2 162
      5. 1855

         > The ‘zygomatic fossa’ is bounded externally by the zygomatic arch.

         L. Holden, Human Osteology
      6. 1895

         > That ‘sweet contraction’ of the zygomatic muscles.

         Quarterly Review July 178
      anatomy
      1. zygomatic 1712–
         Pertaining to or forming part of the zygoma; jugal.
      2. bizygomatic 1878–
         Joining the two zygomatic arches.
      View in Historical Thesaurus
      1. zygoma 1684–
         The bony arch on each side of the skull in vertebrates, consisting of the malar or jugal bone (cheek-bone) and its connections, and forming a…
      2. zygomatic 1811–
         Short for zygomatic muscle n. at sense A or zygomatic bone n. at sense A
      3. zygomatic arch 1825–
         Pertaining to or forming part of the zygoma; jugal.
      View in Historical Thesaurus
2. noun
   1. 1811–
      Short for zygomatic muscle n. at sense A or zygomatic bone n. at sense A
      1. 1811

         > The zygomatics and levators pull the angles of the mouth upwards.

         C. Bell, Anatomy of Human Body (ed. 3) vol. I. 181
      2. 1919

         > Prominence of the zygomatics.

         Man vol. XIX. 156
      anatomy
      1. temporal?1541–
         Elliptical for temporal artery, temporal bone, temporal muscle at sense A, etc.
      2. trumpeter's muscle 1615–
         trumpeter's muscle, †also simply trumpeter (obsolete) = buccinator, n.
      3. crotaphite 1653–
         Of or pertaining to the temples, temporal. ˈcrotaphite adj. & n. (a) temporal, as in ‘crotaphite arteries’; †(b) n. the temporal muscle (obsolete…
      4. buccinator 1657–
         Name for a flat thin muscle which forms the wall of the cheek. Also attributive.
      5. zygomatic 1811–
         Short for zygomatic muscle n. at sense A or zygomatic bone n. at sense A
      6. grief-muscles 1872–
         A name given by Darwin to certain muscles concerned in the facial expression of grief.
      View in Historical Thesaurus
      1. zygoma 1684–
         The bony arch on each side of the skull in vertebrates, consisting of the malar or jugal bone (cheek-bone) and its connections, and forming a…
      2. zygomatic 1811–
         Short for zygomatic muscle n. at sense A or zygomatic bone n. at sense A
      3. zygomatic arch 1825–
         Pertaining to or forming part of the zygoma; jugal.
      View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/zʌɪɡə(ʊ)ˈmatɪk/
zigh-goh-MAT-ik
/zɪɡə(ʊ)ˈmatɪk/
zig-oh-MAT-ik

### U.S. English

/ˌzaɪɡəˈmædɪk/
zigh-guh-MAD-ik

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.

##### Consonants

b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values

- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige

##### Vowels

- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot

## Frequency

zygomatic typically occurs about 0.5 times per million words in modern written English.

zygomatic is in frequency band 4, which contains words occurring between 0.1 and 1 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands

Frequency data is computed programmatically, and should be regarded as an estimate.

### Frequency of zygomatic, adj. & n., 1750–2010

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.

The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.

For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.

Decade | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
1750 | 0.057
1760 | 0.05
1770 | 0.044
1780 | 0.053
1790 | 0.094
1800 | 0.13
1810 | 0.21
1820 | 0.32
1830 | 0.36
1840 | 0.42
1850 | 0.47
1860 | 0.48
1870 | 0.47
1880 | 0.51
1890 | 0.54
1900 | 0.53
1910 | 0.55
1920 | 0.58
1930 | 0.61
1940 | 0.59
1950 | 0.62
1960 | 0.62
1970 | 0.6
1980 | 0.54
1990 | 0.5
2000 | 0.48
2010 | 0.45

### Frequency of zygomatic, adj. & n., 2017–2024

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Modern frequency series are derived from a corpus of 20 billion words, covering the period from 2017 to the present. The corpus is mainly compiled from online news sources, and covers all major varieties of World English.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the corpus.

Period | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
2017 | 0.0018
2018 | 0.0022
2019 | 0.0035
2020 | 0.0045
2021 | 0.0054
2022 | 0.0067
2023 | 0.0075
2024 | 0.0071

## Compounds & derived words

Sort by

1. oculozygomatic, adj. 1824–90
   Designating or relating to a line or furrow in…

1. interzygomatic, adj. 1870–
   Lying between the zygomatic arches of the skull.

1. bizygomatic, adj. 1878–
   Joining the two zygomatic arches.

1. temporo-zygomatic, adj. 1890–

zygomatic, adj. & n. was first published in 1921; not fully revised.

zygomatic, adj. & n. was last modified in July 2023.