to stretch a muscle

  • 1stretch a muscle — extend a muscle, flex muscles, prepare muscles for exercise …

    English contemporary dictionary

  • 2Muscle spindle — Latin fusus neuromuscularis Code TH H3.11.06.0.00018 Muscle spindles are sensory receptors within the belly of a muscle, which primarily detect changes in the length of this muscle. They convey length information to the central nervous system via …

    Wikipedia

  • 3muscle — muscleless, adj. muscly, adj. /mus euhl/, n., v., muscled, muscling, adj. n. 1. a tissue composed of cells or fibers, the contraction of which produces movement in the body. 2. an organ, composed of muscle tissue, that contracts to produce a… …

    Universalium

  • 4muscle spindle — n a sensory end organ in a muscle that is sensitive to stretch in the muscle, consists of small striated muscle fibers richly supplied with nerve fibers, and is enclosed in a connective tissue sheath called also stretch receptor * * * a… …

    Medical dictionary

  • 5stretch receptor — n MUSCLE SPINDLE * * * a cell or group of cells found between muscle fibres that responds to stretching of the muscle by transmitting impulses to the central nervous system through the sensory nerves. Stretch receptors are part of the… …

    Medical dictionary

  • 6stretch reflex — n a spinal reflex involving reflex contraction of a muscle in response to stretching called also myotatic reflex * * * (myotatic reflex) the reflex contraction of a muscle in response to its being stretched. * * * reflex contraction of a muscle… …

    Medical dictionary

  • 7stretch — [strech] vt. [ME strecchen < OE streccan, akin to Ger strecken < IE * sterg < base * (s)ter , to be stiff, rigid > STARE] 1. to hold out or reach out; extend [to stretch out a helping hand] 2. to cause (the body or limbs) to reach out …

    English World dictionary

  • 8Stretch — Stretch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Stretched}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Stretching}.] [OE. strecchen, AS. streccan; akin to D. strekken, G. strecken, OHG. strecchen, Sw. str[ a]cka, Dan. str[ae]kke; cf. AS. str[ae]ck, strec, strong, violent, G. strack… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 9Stretch receptor — Stretch receptors are mechanoreceptors responsive to distention of the thorax, which are neurologically linked to the medulla via efferent nerve cells, joining them to the expiratory cells present there. Stretch receptors are also found in other… …

    Wikipedia

  • 10muscle sense — n the part of kinesthesia mediated by end organs located in muscles * * * muscular sense 1. sensory impressions, such as movement and stretch, that come from the muscles; called also myesthesia. 2. movement s …

    Medical dictionary