What is the jaw muscle called?
The jaw muscle is called the masseter. Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as a thick, short muscle on the side of the face.
What it is
- A thick, short muscle on the side of the face.
- One of the strongest muscles in the body by cross-sectional area.
- Raises the mandible to close the jaws (chewing).
Where it is
- Between the zygomatic arch above and the angle of the mandible below.
- Can be felt tightening when the teeth are clenched.
- Covers most of the ramus of the mandible.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
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