English

Biceps brachii; the biceps of the arm.

Noun

biceps ‎(plural biceps or bicepses)

1. (anatomy) Any muscle having two heads.
   • 1901, Michael Foster & Lewis E. Shore, Physiology for Beginners‎, page 73

     The leg is bent by the action of the flexor muscles situated on the back of the thigh, the chief of these being called the biceps of the leg.

2. Specifically, the biceps brachii, the flexor of the elbow.
   • 1996, Robert Kennedy & Dwayne Hines II, Animal Arms‎, page 21

     The arm muscles are the show muscles of the physique. When someone asks to "see your muscles," they are most likely referring to your arms, and more specifically, your biceps.

3. (informal) The upper arm, especially the collective muscles of the upper arm.
   • 1964 Dec, “Muscles are His Business”, in Ebony‎, volume 20, number 2, page 147:

     Today, Stonewall's flexed biceps measure 18 inches around.

   • 2005, Lisa Plumley, Once Upon a Christmas‎, page 144

     Biting her lip, she held his biceps for balance and waded farther.

4. (prosody) A point in a metrical pattern that can be filled either with one long syllable (a longum) or two short syllables (two brevia)
   • 1987, Martin Litchfield West, Introduction to Greek Metre

     Also it is advisable to distinguish this ( ˘ ˘ ) — ˘ ˘ — rhythm, where the princeps was probably shorter in duration than the biceps (as in the dactylic hexameter), from true (marching) anapaests, in which they were equal.

   • 2000, James I. Porter, Nietzsche and the Philology of the Future, page 347

     This means that in the metrical sequence […] recited in ordinary speech rhythm, the princeps occupied a slightly shorter time than the biceps (5:6), and if a long syllable was used to fill the biceps it had to be dragged a little […]

Usage notes

• Now often mistaken as a plural form; see bicep. An archaic plural bicipites, borrowed from the Latin, also exists.

Synonyms

• (the biceps brachii): biceps brachii, biceps cubiti
• (the upper arm): guns, pythons, upper arm

Antonyms

• (prosody): princeps

Derived terms

• bicep
• biceps curl

Related terms

Translations

Dutch

Etymology

From Latin biceps ‎(“two-headed”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbi.sɛps/
• Hyphenation: bi‧ceps

Noun

biceps m ‎(plural bicepsen, diminutive bicepsje n)

1. (anatomy) biceps; any two-headed muscle
2. the biceps brachii
   • 2007, C. A. Bastiaanssen, Anatomie en Fysiologie‎, page 387

     De biceps en de triceps zijn elkaars antagonisten.

     The biceps and the triceps are each other's antagonist.

Synonyms

• (biceps brachii): armbuigspier, elleboogbuiger, spierbal

See also

• tweekoppige

French

Etymology

From Latin biceps ‎(“double-headed”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bi.sɛps/

Noun

biceps m ‎(plural biceps)

1. (anatomy) biceps (any two-headed muscle)
2. the biceps brachii
   • 1978, Freddy Buache, Cinéma Anglais, page 154

     Mais Bronson se définit uniquement par son physique (biceps, démarche souple) et non par la densité de sa présence ce qui limite ses possibilités d'emploi.

     But Bronson is defined only by his physique (biceps, supple gait) and not by the density of his presence which limits his employment possibilities.

Derived terms

• avoir du biceps
• biceps brachial
• biceps crural
• biceps fémoral

Latin

aquila biceps (double-headed eagle)

Alternative forms

• bicapitēs
• bicipēs

Etymology

From bis ‎(“twice”) +‎ -ceps ‎(“headed”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈbi.keps/
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈbi.tʃɛps/

Adjective

biceps m, f, n ‎(genitive bicipitis); third declension

1. double-headed, having two heads
   • 8 CE, Ovid, Fasti 1.65

     Iane biceps, anni tacite labentis origo

     Two-headed Janus, source of the quietly passing year

2. (of mountains) having two summits or peaks
   • 8 CE, Ovid, Metamorphoses 2.221

     ardet in inmensum geminatis ignibus Aetne
     Parnasosque biceps et Eryx et Cynthus et Othrys

     Aetna blazes in immense doubled flames
     and twin-peaked Parnasus and Eryx, Cynthus and Othrys

3. (of swords) double-edged
   • 405, Jerome and others, Vulgate, Proverbia 5:4b

     acuta quasi gladius biceps

     as sharp as a two-edged sword

4. (by extension) divided into two parts

Inflection

Third declension.

Synonyms

• (double-headed): anceps

Related terms

• anceps
• caput
• centiceps
• triceps

Descendants

References

• biceps in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• biceps in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers

Polish

Biceps

Etymology

From Latin biceps ‎(“two-headed”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbi.tsɛps/

Noun

biceps m inan

1. biceps brachii

Declension

Quotations

• 1970, Stanisław Lorentz, Walka o Dobra Kultury, Warszawa 1939-1945, Volume 2, page 27

  I właśnie wtedy przyszło mi na myśl uratowanie prasy powstańczej, którą bardzo troskliwie zbierałem do 2 września, to jest do dnia podpalenia naszego domu, a jednocześnie dnia, kiedy zostałem ranny w prawy biceps.

• 1994, Związek Literatów Polskich, Dialog: Miesięcznik Poświęcony Dramaturgii Współczesnej, page 13

  Podwija rękaw i napina starczy biceps.
  LEO: Dziękuję, stąd widzę.
  STARZEC (klepie się po bicepsie): Niebywałe!

  He [Starzec] rolls up his sleeve and tenses elderly biceps.
  LEO: Thanks, I see it from here.
  STARZEC (taps himself on the biceps): Unheard of!

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowing from French biceps, from Latin biceps ‎(“two-headed”).

Noun

biceps m ‎(plural bicepși)

1. biceps; any two-headed muscle
2. the biceps brachii

Declension

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Latin biceps ‎(“two-headed”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bǐtseps/
• Hyphenation: bi‧ceps

Noun

bìceps m ‎(Cyrillic spelling бѝцепс)

1. biceps

Declension

References

• “biceps” in Hrvatski jezični portal