Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Relating to or situated in the breast or chest.
  • adjective Useful in relieving disorders of the chest or respiratory tract.
  • adjective Worn on the chest or breast.
  • noun Any of four muscles that occur in pairs on each side of the chest.
  • noun A pectoral fin.
  • noun A medicine for relieving disorders of the chest or respiratory tract.
  • noun An ornament or decoration worn on the chest.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Figuratively, proceeding from the breast, as of the heart; from the inner consciousness.
  • Of, pertaining to, or connected with the breast or chest; thoracic: as, a pectoral muscle, vessel, nerve, etc.; a pectornl limb.
  • In entomology, pertaining to the pectus or lower surface of the thorax.
  • noun Armor for the breast, excluding the throat and the lower part of the body.
  • noun An ornament to be worn on the breast; especially, an ornament of an unfamiliar sort, or of a sort to which no special name is given: as an enameled pectoral.
  • noun Eccles.: In the anc. Jewish ritual, a sacerdotal breastplate of richly colored and embroidered cloth, worn by the high priest.
  • noun In the Roman Catholic Church, a square plate of gold, silver, or embroidery, either jeweled or enameled, formerly worn on the breast over the chasuble by bishops during the celebration of the mass.
  • noun A pectoral cross.
  • noun A food, a drink, or a drug supposed to be good for persons having weak lungs.
  • noun A pectoral part or organ.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A covering or protecting for the breast.
  • noun A breastplate, esp. that worn by the Jewish high person.
  • noun A clasp or a cross worn on the breast.
  • noun A medicine for diseases of the chest organs, especially the lungs.
  • adjective Of or pertaining to the breast, or chest.
  • adjective Relating to, or good for, diseases of the chest or lungs.
  • adjective (Zoöl.) Having the breast conspicuously colored.
  • adjective (Anat.) the two or more bony or cartilaginous pieces of the vertebrate skeleton to which the fore limbs are articulated; the shoulder girdle. In man it consists of two bones, the scapula and clavicle, on each side.
  • adjective (Eccl.) a cross worn on the breast by bishops and abbots, and sometimes also by canons.
  • adjective (Zoöl.) fins situated on the sides, behind the gills. See Illust. under Fin.
  • adjective (Zoöl.) See Land rail (b) under Land.
  • adjective (Zoöl.) the jacksnipe (b).

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Of or pertaining to the breast, or chest; as, the pectoral muscles.
  • adjective Relating to, or good for, diseases of the chest or lungs; as, a pectoral remedy.
  • adjective zoology Having the breast conspicuously colored; as, the pectoral sandpiper.
  • noun Protective armor for a horse's breast.
  • noun A covering or protecting for the breast.
  • noun ecclesiastical A breastplate, especially that worn by the Jewish high person.
  • noun ecclesiastical A clasp or a cross worn on the breast.
  • noun A medicine for diseases of the chest organs, especially the lungs.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun either of two large muscles of the chest
  • noun an adornment worn on the chest or breast
  • adjective of or relating to the chest or thorax

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Probably Latin pectorālis, from pectus, pector-, breast. N., sense 4, Middle English, from Old French, from Latin pectorāle, breastplate, from neuter of pectorālis.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin pectorālis.

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Examples

  • On his left pectoral is a skull with one eyeball dangling from the socket by a cord of veins.

    Hopefulness 2010

  • On his left pectoral is a skull with one eyeball dangling from the socket by a cord of veins.

    Hopefulness 2010

  • On his left pectoral is a skull with one eyeball dangling from the socket by a cord of veins.

    Hopefulness 2010

  • Her shoulders were broad, and her pectoral muscles were anchored to an oversized breastbone called the pectoral crest.

    When the Wind Blows Patterson, James, 1947- 1998

  • Her shoulders were broad, and her pectoral muscles were anchored to an oversized breastbone called the pectoral crest.

    When The Wind Blows Patterson, James, 1947- 1998

  • It is in the style of what the pope would call a pectoral cross.

    Vanity, Vanity, All Is Vanity Saith the Preacher PeaceBang 2006

  • "Faience is, well, a kind of ceramic and a pectoral is a …" long fingers sketched incomprehensible designs in the air.

    Blood Lines Huff, Tanya 1993

  • The form of the pectoral was a square made by the folding in two of the material measuring a cubit in length and half a cubit in breadth.

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 11: New Mexico-Philip 1840-1916 1913

  • The pectoral is the latest addition to episcopal ornaments.

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 11: New Mexico-Philip 1840-1916 1913

  • They enter in the composition of the so-called pectoral remedies (composed of equal parts of figs, dates, Corinthian raisins and manzanitas).

    The Medicinal Plants of the Philippines Jerome Beers Thomas 1891

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