rotator cuff

noun

: a supporting and strengthening structure of the shoulder joint that is made up of the capsule of the shoulder joint blended with tendons and muscles as they pass to the capsule or across it to insert on the head of the humerus

Examples of rotator cuff in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Sparrow robotic arm can deal with repetition far better than a 50-year-old’s rotator cuff might. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2024

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that stabilize the shoulder joint. —Sarah Jividen, Health, 11 Oct. 2024

This exercise is great for improving mobility in the rotator cuff, the small muscles inside the shoulder joint that are key for stabilization. —Amy Marturana Winderl, SELF, 9 Oct. 2024

However, Yamamoto left his next start after just two innings and missed nearly three months with a strained rotator cuff. —Bill Plunkett, Orange County Register, 4 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

rotator cuff

noun

-ˌkəf 

: a supporting and strengthening structure of the shoulder joint that is made up of part of its capsule blended with tendons of the subscapularis, infraspinatus, supraspinatus, and teres minor muscles as they pass to the capsule or across it to insert on the humerus

called also musculotendinous cuff